Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary in the U.S.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in the U.S. earn a median of $57,430 a year ($27.61 an hour), based on BLS data for 34,480 workers.
Pay ranges from $41,600 for the lowest-paid 10% to $82,400 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $59,930, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $41,600 | $20.00 |
| 25th percentile | $47,890 | $23.03 |
| Median | $57,430 | $27.61 |
| 75th percentile | $65,730 | $31.60 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $82,400 | $39.61 |
| Average (mean) | $59,930 | $28.81 |
Half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $4,785.83 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,392.92 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $2,208.85 |
| Weekly | $1,104.42 |
| Hourly | $27.61 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $90,380 | 220 |
| Illinois | $80,600 | 1,310 |
| New Jersey | $80,310 | 740 |
| Wyoming | $78,230 | 420 |
| New Mexico | $76,350 | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $76,070 | 280 |
| Alaska | $74,680 | 140 |
| California | $74,500 | 790 |
| Montana | $65,850 | 150 |
| Connecticut | $65,710 | 280 |
| Washington | $64,270 | 640 |
| Nevada | $63,810 | 730 |
| Indiana | $61,910 | 1,530 |
| West Virginia | $61,330 | 650 |
| Oregon | $61,280 | 310 |
| Minnesota | $61,260 | 520 |
| Colorado | $61,020 | 820 |
| Arizona | $60,310 | 560 |
| Vermont | $59,790 | 250 |
| Rhode Island | $59,590 | 50 |
| Virginia | $59,480 | 1,150 |
| Iowa | $59,390 | 560 |
| Michigan | $59,040 | 880 |
| Idaho | $58,670 | 190 |
| North Carolina | $58,620 | n/a |
| New Hampshire | $58,540 | 350 |
| Nebraska | $58,370 | 300 |
| Wisconsin | $58,280 | 990 |
| Ohio | $58,240 | 1,120 |
| New York | $58,120 | 1,490 |
| Maryland | $57,610 | 730 |
| Missouri | $56,760 | 310 |
| Maine | $55,890 | 230 |
| Utah | $54,330 | 400 |
| Louisiana | $53,510 | 280 |
| South Carolina | $52,580 | 330 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,350 | 1,520 |
| Florida | $51,990 | 1,480 |
| Georgia | $50,290 | 1,180 |
| Tennessee | $49,500 | 550 |
| Texas | $49,000 | 5,030 |
| Kansas | $48,950 | 270 |
| Mississippi | $48,490 | 290 |
| South Dakota | $48,250 | 280 |
| Kentucky | $47,780 | 790 |
| Alabama | $47,770 | 410 |
| Oklahoma | $47,100 | 1,440 |
| Delaware | $46,900 | 130 |
| Arkansas | $46,170 | 250 |
| Puerto Rico | $35,870 | 130 |
Best-paying metro areas for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $142,970 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $122,410 | 90 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $94,960 | 880 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $87,060 | 570 |
| Farmington, NM | $85,880 | 50 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $82,560 | 30 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $81,180 | 210 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $76,110 | 180 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $75,440 | 60 |
| New Haven, CT | $75,110 | 70 |
| Fresno, CA | $74,390 | 30 |
| Worcester, MA | $73,780 | 60 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $73,300 | 210 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $71,300 | 40 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $69,240 | 80 |
Metro areas with the most excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 990 | $51,780 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 890 | $49,920 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 880 | $94,960 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 630 | $56,460 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 570 | $87,060 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 540 | $47,970 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 540 | $61,040 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 520 | $51,420 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 430 | $56,470 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 340 | $60,050 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 320 | $61,330 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 290 | $59,280 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 270 | $51,210 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 240 | $61,140 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 240 | $64,580 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | $46,960 | $22.58 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,160 | $27.96 |
| Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | $60,190 | $28.94 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operator | $61,810 | $29.72 |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $67,890 | $32.64 |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,620 | $28.18 |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | $47,730 | $22.95 |
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $74,500 | $35.82 |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | $57,010 | $27.41 |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | $61,390 | $29.51 |
| Rock Splitters, Quarry | $48,740 | $23.44 |
| Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other | $70,130 | $33.72 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | $78,540 | $37.76 |
| Construction Laborer | $47,120 | $22.66 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 47-5022. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining make in the U.S.?
The median salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in the U.S. is $57,430 a year, or $27.61 an hour. Pay ranges from $41,600 for the lowest-paid 10% to $82,400 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in the U.S. earn at least $82,400 a year. The top 25% earn $65,730 or more.
What is the starting pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $41,600 a year, and a quarter of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining earn $47,890 or less.
How many excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining work in the U.S.?
About 34,480 excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.