Dredge Operators
SOC Code: 53-7031
Dredge Operatorss move levers to position dredges for excavation, to engage hydraulic pumps, to raise and lower suction booms, and to control rotation of cutterheads. This career typically requires moderate-term on-the-job training (months to 1 year). With an AI-proof score of 85.2/100, this role has high resilience to automation. Key skills include Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Operations Monitoring.
AI-Proof Score: 85.2 — Very High
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Median Salary
$48,430
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Job Growth
1.2%
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Training Time
Moderate-term on-the-job training (months to 1 year)
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Job Zone
Zone 2 / 5
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Training Cost
~$5,000
Key Skills
- •Operation and Control
- •Operations Monitoring
- •Coordination
- •Judgment and Decision Making
- •Critical Thinking
- •Management of Personnel Resources
- •Troubleshooting
Common Tasks
- ✓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.
Training & Resources
Why AI-Proof?
- ✅Requires hands-on physical presence and dexterity
- ✅Demands human empathy, judgment, and trust
- ✅Operates in unpredictable, variable environments
- ✅Social and regulatory barriers to full automation