How to become a pile driver operator
Official title: Pile driver operator
Also called: Pile driver, Pile mover, Pile driller operator
Pile driver operators use machines to hammer concrete, steel or timber piles into the ground to provide foundation support for buildings and other structures.
Main tasks
- Drive piles deep into the ground
- Operate heavy pile driving machinery
- Position piles in correct locations
- Inspect machinery and tools before work
- Monitor pile driving
- Measure pile depths and alignment
- Maintain pile driving equipment
- Clean machinery and work areas
How to become one
You usually train on the job to become a pile driver operator and experience may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job. Required: a Class 2, 3, 4 or 5 driver licence; a Wheels, Track and Rollers Course (WTR) endorsement. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a driver licence with a special-type vehicle endorsement; to pass a police check; a pass a medical assessment and drug test.
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $63,000 to $109,000 a year (median $90,325), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $55,562 a year · Upper: $125,088 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 27 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Materials handling machine operator supervisor
- Dredge operator
- Loader operator
- Heavy equipment operator
- Heavy equipment technician
- Crane operator
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Questions people ask
How do I become a pile driver operator?
You usually train on the job to become a pile driver operator and experience may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job. Required: a Class 2, 3, 4 or 5 driver licence; a Wheels, Track and Rollers Course (WTR) endorsement. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a driver licence with a special-type vehicle endorsement; to pass a police check; a pass a medical assessment and drug test.
How much does a pile driver operator earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $90,325 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $63,000 to $109,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a pile driver operator grown in New Zealand?
It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026