Searching

Career Exploration

  1. Home

Pile Driver Operators

Also called: Pile Driver, Pile Driver Operator, Pile Driving Operator

What they do:

Operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads, or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads, and foundations of structures such as buildings, bridges, and piers.

On the job, you would:
  • Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.
  • Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.
  • Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.
On the job, you'll need:

Engineering and Technology

  • building and construction
  • mechanical

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Transportation

  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Safety and Government

  • public safety and security

Basic Skills

  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Controlled Movement

  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
  • use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down

Hand and Finger Use

  • hold or move items with your hands
  • keep your arm or hand steady

Spatial

  • imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed
  • know where things are around you

Attention

  • pay attention to something without being distracted

Realistic

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Concern for Others
  • Self Control
  • Cooperation
  • Stress Tolerance

Spreadsheet software

  • Microsoft Excel

Analytical or scientific software

  • GRL Engineers Wave Equation Analysis Program GRLWEAP
  • Pile Dynamics Pile Driving Analyzer PDA

Electronic mail software

  • Email software

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $64,310

Education

High school diploma/GED or certificate after high school is usually needed.

Explore More

See other careers in the Construction industry.