Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
The median excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary in the United States is $57,430 per year ($27.61/hour). Salaries range from $41,600 at the entry level to $82,400+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 34,480 excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 0.4% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median Salary
$57,430
per year
Hourly Rate
$27.61
per hour
Employment
34,480
jobs in the U.S.
Salary Distribution
10th percentile
$41,600
25th percentile
$47,890
Median
$57,430
75th percentile
$65,730
90th percentile
$82,400
Job Growth (2024-2034)
-0.4%
Decline
Annual Openings
3,100
jobs/year (growth + replacements)
Education Required
High school diploma or equivalent
+ Less than 5 years experience
Training Needed
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
$46K$90Kβ No data
Top Paying States
North Dakota
$90K
+57%
Illinois
$81K
+40%
New Jersey
$80K
+40%
Wyoming
$78K
+36%
New Mexico
$76K
+33%
Massachusetts
$76K
+32%
Alaska
$75K
+30%
California
$75K
+30%
Montana
$66K
+15%
Connecticut
$66K
+14%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $90,380 | +57.4% |
| Illinois | $80,600 | +40.3% |
| New Jersey | $80,310 | +39.8% |
| Wyoming | $78,230 | +36.2% |
| New Mexico | $76,350 | +32.9% |
| Massachusetts | $76,070 | +32.5% |
| Alaska | $74,680 | +30.0% |
| California | $74,500 | +29.7% |
| Montana | $65,850 | +14.7% |
| Connecticut | $65,710 | +14.4% |
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $142,970 | +148.9% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $122,410 | +113.1% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $94,960 | +65.3% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $87,060 | +51.6% |
| Farmington, NM | $85,880 | +49.5% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $82,560 | +43.8% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $81,180 | +41.4% |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $76,110 | +32.5% |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $75,440 | +31.4% |
| New Haven, CT | $75,110 | +30.8% |
Showing 1β10 of 119
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining earning $57,430/year would need 1038 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1114 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries βπ See how excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary trend (2011β2024) β