Average salary
National Statistic
Change Location
$30,000 - $80,000
PILE DRIVER/WELDER: I Like Welding, It's Easy
About this video
Glen shares his story of being and pile driver and a welder. He talks about what his job entails and shares how he got into the business, thanks to some prodding by his father. He also shares his opinion about the physical toll and wage opportunities involving other jobs
or trades found in a construction site.
Job Title: Pile Driver / Welder
Job Summary: Pile-Driver Operators
Job Description
Pile-Driver operators use large machines mounted on skids, barges, or cranes to hammer piles into the ground. Piles are long, heavy beams of wood or steel driven into the ground to support retaining walls, bridges, piers, or building foundations. Some Pile-Driver operators work on offshore oil rigs.
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Certification Requirement
Varies by StateQuick Facts
Projected Job Growth
30 to 40 percent
Typical schedule
Full-time, Irregular
Typical workplace
Indoor, Outdoor, Physically demanding
Personal Qualities
Courageous, Hand-eye coordination, Technical skills, Strength/staminaEducational Path
Education Requirement
ApprenticeshipHigh school degree
Recommended Education Degree
High school degreeTrade/vocational School
Apprenticeship
Associate degree
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P3.instances[0].transcript.parse_transcript_data({"transcript":"<p><span m='0'>My current</span> <span m='520'>job is a</span> <span m='1020'>pile</span> <span m='1290'>driver</span> <span m='4059'>slash</span> <span m='4460'>welder.</span> <span m='5150'>Well,</span> <span m='5780'>you</span> <span m='6100'>either</span> <span m='6390'>go</span> <span m='6600'>out</span> <span m='6740'>there and</span> <span m='6930'>weld,</span> <span m='7300'>or you're</span> <span m='7890'>out</span> <span m='8050'>there</span> <span m='8420'>working</span> <span m='8710'>around</span> <span m='9060'>trains,</span> <span m='9600'>driving</span> <span m='9960'>piles</span> <span m='10230'>into the</span> <span m='10585'>ground for</span> <span m='10940'>foundations,</span> <span m='12702'>structural</span> <span m='13188'>stuff,</span> <span m='16110'>support</span> <span m='16530'>foundations</span> <span m='17130'>for,</span> <span m='17320'>like,</span> <span m='17930'>big</span> <span m='18080'>sky</span> <span m='18350'>rise</span> <span m='18700'>buildings,</span> <span m='19860'>freeway</span> <span m='20310'>overpasses,</span> <span m='21512'>all kinds of stuff.</span> </p><p><span m='22718'>How'd</span> <span m='23340'>I</span> <span m='23400'>get</span> <span m='23610'>here?</span> <span m='25100'>My</span> <span m='25210'>dad</span> <span m='25500'>told</span> <span m='25740'>me</span> <span m='26080'>I had a</span> <span m='26280'>week to</span> <span m='26590'>decide</span> <span m='27080'>to</span> <span m='27130'>get</span> <span m='27230'>out</span> <span m='27550'>of the house,</span> <span m='27660'>otherwise,</span> <span m='27970'>go join</span> <span m='28280'>the</span> <span m='28620'>army.</span> <span m='29550'>So</span> <span m='29620'>I</span> <span m='29720'>decided,</span> <span m='30590'>since I was a</span> <span m='31000'>welder</span> <span m='31380'>already,</span> <span m='33640'>go</span> <span m='34170'>give</span> <span m='34320'>this</span> <span m='34560'>pile</span> <span m='34820'>driving</span> <span m='35150'>a</span> <span m='35400'>shot.</span> <span m='36200'>He was</span> <span m='36400'>a</span> <span m='36500'>pule</span> <span m='36790'>driver</span> <span m='37170'>for</span> <span m='37410'>47</span> <span m='37900'>years.</span> <span m='38680'>And</span> <span m='39050'>right</span> <span m='39250'>now,</span> <span m='39400'>I've</span> <span m='39510'>got</span> <span m='39880'>26.</span> </p><p><span m='40650'>My advice</span> <span m='40830'>is</span> <span m='41190'>go join</span> <span m='41600'>the</span> <span m='41940'>pile</span> <span m='42250'>drivers</span> <span m='42535'>because</span> <span m='42820'>iron</span> <span m='43190'>workers,</span> <span m='43790'>that's</span> <span m='44095'>a</span> <span m='44400'>back</span> <span m='44470'>ache</span> <span m='45360'>breaking</span> <span m='45796'>job.</span> <span m='46232'>Labor</span> <span m='46670'>is</span> <span m='46955'>another</span> <span m='47240'>back-breaking</span> <span m='47730'>job.</span> <span m='48220'>It</span> <span m='48710'>don't</span> <span m='49200'>pay as much.</span> <span m='49965'>Or go</span> <span m='50240'>be</span> <span m='50430'>an</span> <span m='50590'>operating</span> <span m='51150'>engineer</span> <span m='51505'>that runs</span> <span m='51860'>cranes.</span> <span m='52000'>You</span> <span m='52570'>get</span> <span m='52780'>paid</span> <span m='53020'>more</span> <span m='53250'>than</span> <span m='53710'>we</span> <span m='54170'>do.</span> <span m='55855'>Other than</span> <span m='56130'>that,</span> <span m='56320'>stay</span> <span m='56660'>in school.</span> <span m='56970'>Be</span> <span m='57280'>smart.</span> <span m='57780'>That's what</span> <span m='58100'>I should have done.</span> <span m='58740'>I didn't</span> <span m='59180'>listen to</span> <span m='59510'>my</span> <span m='59670'>dad.</span> <span m='60030'>So</span> <span m='60700'>that's</span> <span m='61000'>why I'm</span> <span m='61270'>out</span> <span m='61410'>here.</span> </p><p><span m='61970'>I</span> <span m='62410'>like</span> <span m='62630'>welding.</span> <span m='63260'>It's</span> <span m='63450'>easy.</span> <span m='65470'>It's</span> <span m='65780'>not</span> <span m='65910'>like</span> <span m='66170'>putting a</span> <span m='66400'>crane</span> <span m='66660'>together,</span> <span m='67030'>where you're</span> <span m='67920'>packing</span> <span m='68330'>big</span> <span m='68740'>cables</span> <span m='68870'>and stuff,</span> <span m='69240'>putting</span> <span m='69650'>the</span> <span m='70200'>stuff</span> <span m='70930'>together.</span> <span m='71255'>And it's</span> <span m='71580'>a lot cleaner.</span> </p>","file":{"id":291124,"video_id":"2711360726001","name":"1171-Glenn-p-PileDrive-Welder","duration":72934,"thumbnail_url":null}});
