Dredge Operators vs Riggers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Dredge Operators and Riggers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Dredge Operators | Riggers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $48,430 | $62,060 |
| Employment | 1,030 | 24,190 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+1.2%) | About average (+3.2%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 100 | 2,500 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 0th pct | Moderate · 61st pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 11th pct · 13% of tasks | 10th pct · 13% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Mechanical, Control Precision, Operation and Control, Multilimb Coordination, Operations Monitoring, Depth Perception, English Language, Manual Dexterity, Reaction Time, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Far Vision, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Information Ordering, Speech Recognition, Production and Processing, Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Static Strength, Trunk Strength, Mathematics, Complex Problem Solving.
Specific to Dredge Operators
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Selective Attention
- Finger Dexterity
- Hearing Sensitivity
- Auditory Attention
- Speech Clarity
- Troubleshooting
- Flexibility of Closure
Specific to Riggers
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Technology
- Building and Construction
- Reading Comprehension
- Visualization
- Extent Flexibility
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Specific to Dredge Operators
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Dredge Operators or Riggers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Dredge Operators vs Hoist and Winch Operators
- Dredge Operators vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Dredge Operators vs Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
- Dredge Operators vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
- Dredge Operators vs Helpers--Extraction Workers
- Dredge Operators vs Continuous Mining Machine Operators
- Dredge Operators vs Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
- Dredge Operators vs Crane and Tower Operators
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Dredge Operators vs Riggers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/dredge-operators-vs-riggers
Singulariki. (2026). Dredge Operators vs Riggers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/dredge-operators-vs-riggers
@misc{singulariki-dredge-operators-vs-riggers,
title = {Dredge Operators vs Riggers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/dredge-operators-vs-riggers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.