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Will AI replace Pile Driver Operators?

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. The percentage shown is a task-exposure model, not a prediction of certain job loss.

O*NET 30.3 · 47-2072.00 · modeled exposure, not guaranteed job loss
LOW TASK EXPOSURE
22%
Estimated share of representative tasks exposed to current AI capabilities.
Last updatedAugust 20, 2026
Evidence confidenceMedium
Browse this risk tierLower exposure jobs →
Task automation shareⓘ
22%Automatable
Automatable22%
Augmentable43%
Hard to automate35%
Based on analysis of representative responsibilities and current AI capability maturity.
Category#
Trades & Physical
Field & Physical
Modeled pay midpoint$
$92,300/yr
Directional estimate — verify locally
Time until impact⌁
6–10+ years
Earliest 2032 · widespread 2036+
Task-level replaceability ⓘ
Representative tasks ranked from highest to lowest AI exposure.
◇Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.32%
✦Physical dexterity in unpredictable settings27%
✦Safety responsibility and on-site judgment23%
⚙Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.20%
▥Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.12%
Impact timeline ⓘ
How AI assistance may move from early support to wider adoption.
2032Next2036+
Light supportAI provides limited help with move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings..
AugmentationTools improve productivity without owning outcomes.
Human-ledCore work stays anchored in physical dexterity in unpredictable settings.
6–10+ yearsdirectional confidence window
HOW AI CHANGES THIS JOBtyping the logic in plain English
01>Start with the real work done by Pile Driver Operators.
02>AI can help with: Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.
03>If a task is repetitive and easy to check, AI pressure goes up.
04>But a person is still needed for: Physical dexterity in unpredictable settings.
05>Likely result: AI mostly acts as a helper while the core job stays human-led.
06>Important: 22% is estimated task exposure—not a 22% chance of losing the job.
What AI can do
Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.LOW MATCH
Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.LOW MATCH
Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.LOW MATCH
How estimates work →
Your human moat
◆

Physical dexterity in unpredictable settings

HIGH MOAT

Combined with safety responsibility and on-site judgment, this keeps a human in the loop.

Strength8.6
Similar-role comparison
RoleRisk
Pile Driver Operators22%
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General22%
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals22%
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers23%
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Why this score?

✓The model evaluates 3 representative core tasks.
✓The core work depends on presence, dexterity, or accountability.
✓Occupation and task language comes from O*NET 30.3.
✓The strongest human advantage is physical dexterity in unpredictable settings.
Research basis

O*NET 30.3 occupation tasks plus the ILO 2025 exposure framework. Scores are directional estimates.

Read ILO research →
Data: O*NET 30.3 · Model framework: ILO 2025O*NET 47-2072.00Share report
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Sources for this report

Official occupation tasks; timeline remains uncertain Scores are directional estimates and sources do not endorse this site’s exact percentage.

O*NET 47-2072.00 occupation profile ↗ILO Generative AI and Jobs 2025 ↗Scoring methodology →

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