Dredge Operator Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of dredge operators are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of dredge operators within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The dredge operators annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Dredge Operator Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$34,110
25th Percentile Wage
$40,030
50th Percentile Wage
$47,090
75th Percentile Wage
$60,320
90th Percentile Wage
$77,080

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for dredge operators. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) dredge operators is $77,080. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $47,090. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $34,110. Notice that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 125% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of dredge operators from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$47,090
1.87% 21.07%
2021
$46,210
-6.49% -
2020
$49,210
4.41% -
2019
$47,040
3.78% -
2018
$45,260
4.49% -
2017
$43,230
1.87% -
2016
$42,420
5.56% -
2015
$40,060
-2.22% -
2014
$40,950
3.32% -
2013
$39,590
6.11% -
2012
$37,170
- -

Table 2. Dredge Operator Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of dredge operators in 6 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for dredge operators occupations is the manufacturing sector with an annual salary $65,980. The lowest paying sector is the administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector (annual salary $44,010).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Manufacturing
$65,980
Wholesale Trade
$63,070
Federal, State, and Local Government
$49,300
Construction
$46,070
Mining
$44,230
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$44,010

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Dredge Operators by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only dredge operators salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of dredge operators in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $28,040 to $78,300. The highest paying state for dredge operators is Iowa with a median annual salary of $78,300. The lowest paying state is Alabama with a median annual salary of $28,040. For more salary information of dredge operators profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Iowa
$78,300
Minnesota
$77,150
Georgia
$74,720
Missouri
$66,760
California
$66,640
New Jersey
$65,530
Pennsylvania
$62,210
Idaho
$55,860
Massachusetts
$52,580
Colorado
$52,460
New York
$49,640
South Carolina
$48,400
Ohio
$47,280
Oklahoma
$46,610
Indiana
$45,870
Louisiana
$45,850
Maryland
$45,490
Nebraska
$43,470
Florida
$41,430
Tennessee
$40,530
Illinois
$37,150
Texas
$34,990
Alabama
$28,040