Will AI replace pile driver operators?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.7% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 1 more task has only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so it stays with people here. For 4 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings. (2h 40m a shift)
• Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths. (2h 11m a shift)
• Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head. (1h 42m a shift)
• Conduct pre-operational checks on equipment to ensure proper functioning. (44m a shift)
• Clean, lubricate, and refill equipment. (44m a shift)

Part of the answer is the setting, not just the tasks. Work that is in person, hands on or high stakes is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 98% work outdoors in all weather every day
• 87% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 82% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time

On Indeed, job postings in the Construction sector are at 129% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 200 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $73,300 a year ($35.24 an hour), 44% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $48,790 and $124,600 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 2,200 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 200 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 2,310 people in the U.S., roughly 0.00% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 771st largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 2,200 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 53% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Earth Drillers (3h 38m touched, $60k median pay)
• Helpers for Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters (2h 46m touched, $48k median pay)
• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (2h 31m touched, $70k median pay)
• Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (4h 56m touched, $53k median pay)
• Continuous Mining Machine Operators (1h 44m touched, $62k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 5 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.