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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

53-7031 Dredge Operators

Operate dredge to remove sand, gravel, or other materials in order to excavate and maintain navigable channels in waterways.


National estimates for Dredge Operators
Industry profile for Dredge Operators
Geographic profile for Dredge Operators

National estimates for Dredge Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Dredge Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,650 10.1 % $ 24.29 $ 50,530 2.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Dredge Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.04 $ 18.39 $ 22.22 $ 29.68 $ 36.83
Annual Wage (2) $ 35,440 $ 38,250 $ 46,210 $ 61,740 $ 76,610


Industry profile for Dredge Operators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Dredge Operators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Dredge Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Dredge Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 810 0.67 $ 22.99 $ 47,810
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 440 0.46 $ 22.67 $ 47,150
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 70 0.02 $ 35.33 $ 73,480
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 70 0.01 $ 29.20 $ 60,740
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 60 0.00 $ 33.46 $ 69,610

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Dredge Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 810 0.67 $ 22.99 $ 47,810
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 440 0.46 $ 22.67 $ 47,150
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 70 0.02 $ 35.33 $ 73,480
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 30 0.01 $ 33.00 $ 68,640
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 70 0.01 $ 29.20 $ 60,740

Top paying industries for Dredge Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 70 0.02 $ 35.33 $ 73,480
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 60 (7) $ 33.46 $ 69,610
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 30 0.01 $ 33.00 $ 68,640
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 70 0.01 $ 29.20 $ 60,740
Other Specialty Trade Contractors (8) (8) $ 23.79 $ 49,470


Geographic profile for Dredge Operators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Dredge Operators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Dredge Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of dredge operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Dredge Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 360 0.20 17.17 $ 21.62 $ 44,970
Florida 190 0.02 1.86 $ 21.97 $ 45,710
Texas 140 0.01 0.95 $ 21.66 $ 45,060
Missouri 130 0.05 4.17 $ 25.71 $ 53,480
California 110 0.01 0.54 $ 34.34 $ 71,440


Map of location quotient of dredge operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Dredge Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 360 0.20 17.17 $ 21.62 $ 44,970
Nebraska 80 0.08 6.70 $ 19.24 $ 40,010
Missouri 130 0.05 4.17 $ 25.71 $ 53,480
Iowa 60 0.04 3.66 $ 38.03 $ 79,110
Alabama 80 0.04 3.55 $ 15.88 $ 33,030


Map of annual mean wages of dredge operators by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Dredge Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Iowa 60 0.04 3.66 $ 38.03 $ 79,110
California 110 0.01 0.54 $ 34.34 $ 71,440
Minnesota (8) (8) (8) $ 30.79 $ 64,030
Pennsylvania 50 0.01 0.78 $ 29.36 $ 61,060
New Jersey 50 0.01 1.09 $ 28.54 $ 59,370



Map of employment of dredge operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Dredge Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 60 0.02 2.07 $ 23.71 $ 49,320
St. Louis, MO-IL 50 0.04 3.50 $ 29.08 $ 60,490
Kansas City, MO-KS 30 0.03 2.94 $ 23.42 $ 48,720
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 30 0.03 2.25 $ 22.09 $ 45,950
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 30 0.06 5.26 $ 21.81 $ 45,370
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30 0.01 0.97 $ 30.22 $ 62,850


Map of location quotient of dredge operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Dredge Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 30 0.06 5.26 $ 21.81 $ 45,370
St. Louis, MO-IL 50 0.04 3.50 $ 29.08 $ 60,490
Kansas City, MO-KS 30 0.03 2.94 $ 23.42 $ 48,720
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 30 0.03 2.25 $ 22.09 $ 45,950
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 60 0.02 2.07 $ 23.71 $ 49,320
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30 0.01 0.97 $ 30.22 $ 62,850


Map of annual mean wages of dredge operators by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Dredge Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (8) (8) (8) $ 33.97 $ 70,650
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30 0.01 0.97 $ 30.22 $ 62,850
St. Louis, MO-IL 50 0.04 3.50 $ 29.08 $ 60,490
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 60 0.02 2.07 $ 23.71 $ 49,320
Kansas City, MO-KS 30 0.03 2.94 $ 23.42 $ 48,720
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 30 0.03 2.25 $ 22.09 $ 45,950
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 30 0.06 5.26 $ 21.81 $ 45,370


About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022