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Dredge Operators
Operate dredge to remove sand, gravel, or other materials to excavate and maintain navigable channels in waterways.
Other titles employers use
Dredge Operator · Dredger · Dredge Deckhand · Dredge Engineer · Dredge Mate
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Move levers to position dredges for excavation, to engage hydraulic pumps, to raise and lower suction booms, and to control rotation of cutterheads.
- Start and stop engines to operate equipment.
- 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.
- Lower anchor poles to verify depths of excavations, using winches, or scan depth gauges to determine depths of excavations.
- Direct or assist workers placing shore anchors and cables, laying additional pipes from dredges to shore, and pumping water from pontoons.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Judgment and Decision Making
Subjects to know
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Control Precision
- Multilimb Coordination
- Depth Perception
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.1 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.9 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.7 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 87%
- A certificate or some college 13%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Industrial control software
- Mobile location based services software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Map creation software
- Internet browser software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 180
- Job openings each year
- 20
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 12.5%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 180 | 20 | 12.5% |
| Florida | 150 | 20 | 7.1% |
| Nebraska | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Texas | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Alabama | 60 | 10 | 20.0% |
| Ohio | 40 | 10 | — |
| Oregon | 40 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Colorado | 20 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 20 | 0 | — |
| New Jersey | 20 | 0 | — |
Career to college
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Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.