Dredge Operators earn a median of $49,640 per year ($23.86/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 0.7% through 2035, with about 100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 53-7031
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Dredge Operator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $49,640a year, or $23.86/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $41KTop 10% $74K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +0.7%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+0.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +0.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1001,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20251.3K
- Projected 20351.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 1.3K Projected 2035 1.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school7.2%
- High school80%
- Certificate8.6%
- Some college4.3%
Highest education held by dredge operators Segment Value Less than high school 7.2% High school 80% Certificate 8.6% Some college 4.3%
Also advertised as: Dredge Operator, Dredger.
Pay
How much do Dredge Operators make?
Every dredge operator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$49,640
Middle half earn $46,430 to $62,070
- 10th
- $41,080
- 25th
- $46,430
- 75th
- $62,070
- 90th
- $74,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $41,080 |
| 25th | $46,430 |
| Median | $49,640 |
| 75th | $62,070 |
| 90th | $74,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $49,640
- Median hourly wage
- $23.86/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $56,120
- People employed
- 1,040
Versus all US occupations
At $49,640, Dredge Operators earn 3% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $1,340 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 21% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $74,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $41,080, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 21% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Texas pays the most at $65,580, and still leads at $67,569 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Dredge Operators the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Texas | $65,580 | $67,569 | N/A |
| 2New Jersey | $63,810 | $58,646 | 30 |
| 3Iowa | $57,990 | $66,076 | 60 |
| 4Wisconsin | $54,310 | $57,718 | N/A |
| 5Ohio | $53,310 | $57,462 | 40 |
| 6Florida | $52,800 | $51,057 | 40 |
| 7Alabama | $50,030 | $56,326 | 50 |
| 8Louisiana | $48,590 | $55,086 | N/A |
| 9Nebraska | $45,290 | $50,265 | 30 |
Job outlook
Is Dredge Operator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +0.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Dredge Operators | +0.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Dredge Operators to change 0.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 0 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 100 openings are projected each year, 7.7% of the 1,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of material moving machine operators is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035.
Despite limited employment growth, about 70,700 openings for material moving machine operators are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of material moving machine operators varies by occupation (see table).
Getting in
How to become a Dredge Operator
Education and training requirements vary by occupation. Crane operators typically have several years of experience in a related occupation.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as dredge operators.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)80%
- Post-Secondary Certificate8.6%
- Less than a High School Diploma7.2%
- Some College Courses4.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 80% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 8.6% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 7.2% |
| Some College Courses | 4.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Dredge Operator do?
Operate dredge to remove sand, gravel, or other materials in order to excavate and maintain navigable channels in waterways.
Material moving machine operators use equipment to transport objects. For example, some operators move goods around factories and storage areas or onto container ships. Others move construction materials around building sites.
Day-to-day tasks
- Start power winches that draw in or let out cables to change positions of dredges, or pull in and let out cables manually.
- Start and stop engines to operate equipment.
- Pump water to clear machinery pipelines.
- Move levers to position dredges for excavation, to engage hydraulic pumps, to raise and lower suction booms, and to control rotation of cutterheads.
- Direct or assist workers placing shore anchors and cables, laying additional pipes from dredges to shore, and pumping water from pontoons.
- Lower anchor poles to verify depths of excavations, using winches, or scan depth gauges to determine depths of excavations.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most material moving machine operators work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Because materials are shipped around the clock, some work overnight shifts.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.5
- Active Learning2.5
- Learning Strategies2.4
- Writing2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.5 |
| Active Learning | 2.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.4 |
| Writing | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control3.8
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Coordination3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Troubleshooting2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Equipment Selection2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.8 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 2.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.8 |
| Equipment Selection | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Industrial control software
- Internet browser software
- Map creation software
- Mobile location based services software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Dredge Operator?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Dredge Operator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.6
- Conventional3.5
- Investigative3.0
- Enterprising2.3
- Social1.4
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Dredge Operator
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Construction and Extraction
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator
$59,850median a year
Most earn $42K to $101K
+4.6%High school - Construction and Extraction
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator, Surface Mining
$57,430median a year
Most earn $42K to $82K
+1.0%High school - Construction and Extraction
Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas
$67,890median a year
Most earn $47K to $102K
+0.8%No formal credential - Construction and Extraction
- Construction and Extraction
Continuous Mining Machine Operator
$61,810median a year
Most earn $47K to $86K
+3.2%No formal credential
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with dredge operators highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
- Dredge Operator$49,640
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
| Dredge Operator | $49,640 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Dredge Operator appears on
Questions
Dredge Operator: frequently asked questions
How much do Dredge Operators make?
Dredge Operators earn a median of $49,640 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 3% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $23.86/hr. The middle half earn between $46,430 and $62,070. The top 10% earn $74,140 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Dredge Operator?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Dredge Operators. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 80.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Dredge Operator a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.7% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Dredge Operator do?
Material moving machine operators use equipment to transport objects. A core O*NET task: start power winches that draw in or let out cables to change positions of dredges, or pull in and let out cables manually.
Which states pay Dredge Operators the most?
The highest state medians for Dredge Operators are Texas ($65,580), New Jersey ($63,810), Iowa ($57,990) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Dredge Operator?
O*NET scores Dredge Operators highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.