SOC 53-7031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Dredge Operators — Louisiana
Louisiana · 1 metro areas compared
The median wage for Dredge Operators in Louisiana is $48,590 per year, close to the national median of $49,640 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +1.2%
- Openings per year
- 100
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
8.0% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Louisiana.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Dredge Operators in Louisiana is $48,590 per year, close to the national median of $49,640 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $42,400 at the tenth percentile to more than $57,740 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $46,430 to $49,380.
Among the 9 states with published data for this occupation, Louisiana ranks 8th by median wage. New Orleans leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $49,390. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 392nd of 679 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $42,400 | −14.6% |
| 25th | $46,430 | −6.5% |
| Median (50th) | $48,590 | −2.1% |
| 75th | $49,380 | −0.5% |
| 90th | $57,740 | +16.3% |
| Mean | $48,710 | −1.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Louisiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans | $49,390 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Louisiana run 11.8% below the national average, so the median of $48,590 goes as far as $55,091 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$48,590as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$55,091US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $48,590 a year, 2.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $42,400 to $57,740 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 8th of 9 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is New Orleans, at $49,390.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Dredge Operators in Louisiana?
The median annual wage is $48,590, or $23.36 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $49,640, so pay in Louisiana is 2.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Louisiana earns more than $57,740 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $42,400 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in New Orleans, at $49,390 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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