Dredge Operators Salary
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 1.0K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$49,640
Median hourly
$24
Average annual
$56,120
Typical range
$41,080–$74,140
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Dredge Operators is $49,640 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $24 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Operate dredge to remove sand, gravel, or other materials in order to excavate and maintain navigable channels in waterways..
Most earn between $41,080 and $74,140 a year. There are roughly 1.0K people employed as dredge operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Dredge Operators.
- Hourly
- $23.87
- Daily
- $191
- Weekly
- $955
- Bi-weekly
- $1,909
- Monthly
- $4,137
- Annual
- $49,640
$49,640 a year is around the 50th percentile for Dredge Operatorss. The median is $49,640.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$72,960
- 2New Orleans-Metairie, LA$49,390
- 3Kansas City, MO-KS$48,980
Related job titles
Employers advertise Dredge Operators roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Hoist and Winch Operators$56,450
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining$57,430
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas$67,890
- Helpers--Extraction Workers$47,730
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators$61,810
- Riggers$62,640
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$60,190
What a Dredge Operators does
- Move levers to position dredges for excavation, to engage hydraulic pumps, to raise and lower suction booms, and to control rotation of cutterheads.
- Start power winches that draw in or let out cables to change positions of dredges, or pull in and let out cables manually.
- Pump water to clear machinery pipelines.
- Direct or assist workers placing shore anchors and cables, laying additional pipes from dredges to shore, and pumping water from pontoons.
- Start and stop engines to operate equipment.
- Lower anchor poles to verify depths of excavations, using winches, or scan depth gauges to determine depths of excavations.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dredge Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Dredge Operators is $49,640 ($24 per hour). Pay ranges from about $41,080 at the 10th percentile to $74,140 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Dredge Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $56,120, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Dredge Operatorss the most?
- Texas has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $65,580.
- Is Dredge Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 1.0K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Dredge Operators do?
- Move levers to position dredges for excavation, to engage hydraulic pumps, to raise and lower suction booms, and to control rotation of cutterheads.; Start power winches that draw in or let out cables to change positions of dredges, or pull in and let out cables manually.; Pump water to clear machinery pipelines..