Pile driver operator vs equipment operator

The differences between pile driver operators and equipment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a pile driver operator and an equipment operator. Additionally, a pile driver operator has an average salary of $37,434, which is higher than the $31,739 average annual salary of an equipment operator.

The top three skills for a pile driver operator include pile, CDL and cranes. The most important skills for an equipment operator are CDL, loaders, and asphalt.

Pile driver operator vs equipment operator overview

	Pile Driver Operator	Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$37,434	$31,739
Hourly rate	$18.00	$15.26
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	82,632	62,473
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Pile driver operator vs equipment operator salary

Pile driver operators and equipment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pile Driver Operator	Equipment Operator
Average salary	$37,434	$31,739
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $47,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Indianapolis, IN
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Nelsen Partners
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between pile driver operator and equipment operator education

There are a few differences between a pile driver operator and an equipment operator in terms of educational background:

	Pile Driver Operator	Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Pile driver operator vs equipment operator demographics

Here are the differences between pile driver operators' and equipment operators' demographics:

	Pile Driver Operator	Equipment Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%	Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between pile driver operator and equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Pile driver operator example responsibilities.

Operate heavy equipment including cranes, forklifts, and track vehicles.
Rig up equipment, signal crane and track-hoe to be move to a different area with in the job site.
Communicate with crane operator, rig concrete piles and materials, grease and oil equipment on a daily basis, unload trucks
Operate various caterpillar excavators, bulldozers, front-end loaders and other relate equipment to perform demolition on houses and infrastructure.
Manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients using GMP format and aseptic techniques.

Equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate track loader, dozer, excavator, track skid loader, rubber tire loader, and haul truck as assigned.
Operate heavy equipment including loaders and rollers.
Operate bulldozers, compactors, and scrapers for residential land development
Work include backhoe operation, equipment operation, landscaping and snow removal
Operate backhoes and trench diggers.

Pile driver operator vs equipment operator skills

Common pile driver operator skills

Pile, 27%
CDL, 18%
Cranes, 12%
Construction Equipment, 11%
GPS, 10%
DOT, 5%

Common equipment operator skills

CDL, 10%
Loaders, 7%
Asphalt, 5%
Backhoe, 5%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 4%

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Construction and Extraction Industry
Pile Driver Operator
Pile Driver Operator vs Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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