Three unknown benefits of becoming dock builders
Dock builders often face challenging tasks as they face crucial factors to build quality marine structures like docks and seawalls.
They work in or beside water bodies and must consider the soil type in the area. They must also know how to select the correct tools and materials to build structures that last long despite constant water exposure.
However, these professionals also enjoy excellent job benefits, despite the difficulties they frequently face. And it’s great to know these benefits if you consider becoming one.
Three Benefits Dock Builders Enjoy from Their Job
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Excellent Pay
As a dock builder, you have the potential to earn an average of $18.00 per hour or $36512 annually. That’s significantly higher than the minimum wage rate, which is $7.25 per hour.
Moreover, you will receive overtime pay as it’s common for construction workers to work at night or on weekends. You can also expect a pay increase as you gain experience and specialized skills.
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Opportunity to travel to Different Places
Dock contractors frequently travel from one place to another to handle different marine construction projects. You will thus receive travel allowances and ship pay.
You can also visit various tourist attractions alone or with your family after working hours. Your boss may even assign you to build a dock or a seawall for a fabulous resort.
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Helps Maintain Excellent Physical Health
You must maintain excellent physical Health to handle heavy materials and power tools efficiently. Good body condition also improves your overall wellness and brings benefits like:
- Improved muscle and bone health and strength
- Minimized risks of cardiovascular ailments like high blood pressure and heart disease
- Healthy body weight
- Preventing certain types of cancers like lung and colon cancers
- Improved positive psychological health

What to Know to Become a Dock Builder
There are two primary points to remember if you want to work as a dock builder:
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Educational Attainment and Formal Training
Most marine contractors require dock builders to carry a high school degree or higher.
Moreover, you have to undergo three or four-year formal training, which often involves at least 144 training hours a year. It also includes special skills certification and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) courses.
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Specialized Skills
You need these specialized skills for the job:
- Digging
- Piling
- Know how to use hand tools
- Learn how to use power tools
- Operating heavy machinery
- Workplace Safety and first-aid application
You may acquire these skills from the required training. However, having these skills before joining the training course always helps. For example, it becomes easier for you to learn how to use power tools to build docks if you have prior experience using them.
Work Expectations
You will face challenging situations as a dock builder, so know these conditions to prepare:
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Long Working Hours
While the wage rate is reasonable, marine construction workers must work full-time each day and go on overtime frequently. You may also need to work on weekends to finish projects on or before the deadline.
So, always clarify the schedule with your boss before a project and prepare for some changes along the way.
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Frequent Travel
As mentioned above, you must be ready to travel to different places to complete construction projects.
While traveling lets you visit different areas, it may also make you tired before you even work. You also have to consider travel expenses, so select an employer who will provide sufficient travel allowance.
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Significant Safety Risks
Construction sites always pose safety risks to workers, like slip and fall accidents and heavy equipment injuries. So, observe necessary safety precautions while on a marine construction site, like:
- Wearing personal protective equipment like hard hats, steel-toed boots, and gloves
- Properly maintaining power tools and heavy machinery
- Being careful when operating equipment and machines
- Keeping electric equipment and wirings away from the water
- Always having first-aid kits readily available on the site
It’s also better to know about the ecosystem in the area to protect yourself from disease-causing organisms like mosquitos.
Professional Dock Builders in a Reliable Marine Contractor
Dock builders enjoy excellent pay, frequent travel opportunities, and the necessity to be in good physical health. However, this challenging job requires sufficient skills and knowledge for you to build quality marine structures.
You should thus remember the points above to help you become a dock builder. And make sure you select the best marine contractor where you can work and provide your service to clients.
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