Carpenters vs Pile Driver Operators: $61K vs $73K Median Pay

Carpenters vs Pile Driver Operators: what changes?

Consider Carpenters if you want to construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood…. Consider Pile Driver Operators if you would rather operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads, or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads, and foundations of structures such as buildings, bridges, and piers. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Carpenters and Pile Driver Operators. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Carpenters

National median pay (2025): $60,580
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate: Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 62,800

Know before you choose

The usual entry route includes an apprenticeship. Interest in the subject is not a substitute for supervised, paid training.

See the full Carpenters brief

Pile Driver Operators

National median pay (2025): $73,300
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 200

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 5.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Pile Driver Operators brief

How the national numbers differ

Carpenters has the edge on annual openings

Carpenters is at 62,800 annual openings, compared with 200 annual openings for Pile Driver Operators.

Carpenters has the edge on projected growth

Carpenters is at 3.9% projected growth, compared with -5.7% projected growth for Pile Driver Operators.

Pile Driver Operators has the edge on median pay

Pile Driver Operators is at $73,300, compared with $60,580 for Carpenters.

69.4/ 100

Carpenters

34.4/ 100

Pile Driver Operators

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

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