Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary

The median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in the United States is $57,430 a year. About 34,480 people hold this job.

10th percentile: $41,600
25th percentile: $47,890
Median percentile: $57,430
75th percentile: $65,730
90th percentile: $82,400

Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience. BLS does not report experience, so reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only a rough guide. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.

How to become: education, skills and job outlook

Highest-paying states · Highest-paying cities

By state

North Dakota $90,380
Illinois $80,600
New Jersey $80,310
Wyoming $78,230
New Mexico $76,350
Massachusetts $76,070
Alaska $74,680
California $74,500
Montana $65,850
Connecticut $65,710
Washington $64,270
Nevada $63,810
Indiana $61,910
West Virginia $61,330
Oregon $61,280
Minnesota $61,260
Colorado $61,020
Arizona $60,310
Vermont $59,790
Rhode Island $59,590
Virginia $59,480
Iowa $59,390
Michigan $59,040
Idaho $58,670
New Hampshire $58,540
Nebraska $58,370
Wisconsin $58,280
Ohio $58,240
New York $58,120
Maryland $57,610
Missouri $56,760
Maine $55,890
Utah $54,330
Louisiana $53,510
South Carolina $52,580
Pennsylvania $52,350
Florida $51,990
Georgia $50,290
Tennessee $49,500
Texas $49,000
Kansas $48,950
Mississippi $48,490
South Dakota $48,250
Kentucky $47,780
Alabama $47,770
Oklahoma $47,100
Delaware $46,900
Arkansas $46,170

By metro area

Sacramento, CA $142,970
San Francisco, CA $122,410
New York, NY $94,960
Chicago, IL $87,060
Farmington, NM $85,880
San Jose, CA $82,560
Minneapolis, MN $81,180
Boston, MA $76,110
College Station, TX $75,440
New Haven, CT $75,110
Fresno, CA $74,390
Worcester, MA $73,780
Seattle, WA $73,300
Pittsfield, MA $71,300
Riverside, CA $69,240
Grand Rapids, MI $68,600
Prescott Valley, AZ $67,260
Portland, OR $66,160
Cleveland, OH $65,900
Denver, CO $65,370
Lafayette, IN $65,290
Bakersfield, CA $65,260
Glens Falls, NY $65,200
Appleton, WI $64,720
Albuquerque, NM $64,650
Phoenix, AZ $64,580
Manchester, NH $64,470
Los Angeles, CA $64,400
Burlington, VT $63,700
Pueblo, CO $63,600
Las Vegas, NV $62,660
Salem, OR $62,510
Davenport, IA $61,990
Des Moines, IA $61,830
Canton, OH $61,770
Vineland, NJ $61,760
Colorado Springs, CO $61,410
Waterbury, CT $61,410
Indianapolis, IN $61,330
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY $61,140
Milwaukee, WI $61,140
Toledo, OH $61,070
Washington, DC $61,040
Dayton, OH $60,950
Providence, RI $60,850
Eugene, OR $60,840
Cedar Rapids, IA $60,630
Beckley, WV $60,610
St. Louis, MO $60,250
Madison, WI $60,200
Spokane, WA $60,180
Greeley, CO $60,070
Albany, NY $60,050
Omaha, NE $59,980
Charlotte, NC $59,860
Cincinnati, OH $59,560
Green Bay, WI $59,280
Philadelphia, PA $59,280
Detroit, MI $59,040
Raleigh, NC $59,030
Asheville, NC $58,710
Richmond, VA $58,710
Atlantic City, NJ $58,110
Columbus, OH $57,870
Cape Girardeau, MO $57,640
Lexington, KY $57,640
Buffalo, NY $56,800
Fond du Lac, WI $56,800
Memphis, TN $56,780
Greenville, SC $56,570
Portland, ME $56,560
Scranton, PA $56,480
Baltimore, MD $56,470
Atlanta, GA $56,460
Boise City, ID $55,420
Salt Lake City, UT $55,260
Columbia, SC $54,370
Nashville, TN $53,800
Wheeling, WV $53,700
Virginia Beach, VA $53,420
Allentown, PA $52,760
Dallas, TX $51,780
Austin, TX $51,420
Pittsburgh, PA $51,210
Lancaster, PA $50,850
Ogden, UT $50,660
Jacksonville, FL $50,490
Odessa, TX $50,230
Jackson, MS $50,030
Houston, TX $49,920
Syracuse, NY $49,840
Augusta, GA $49,520
Kingsport, TN $49,430
Savannah, GA $49,400
Midland, TX $49,070
Provo, UT $48,920
Miami, FL $48,770
Rochester, NY $48,730
Macon, GA $48,380
Tulsa, OK $48,330
Sioux Falls, SD $48,250
Huntington, WV $48,190
Utica, NY $48,160
Birmingham, AL $47,970
San Antonio, TX $47,970
Binghamton, NY $47,810
Little Rock, AR $47,800
Topeka, KS $47,570
Orlando, FL $47,160
Oklahoma City, OK $47,100
Roanoke, VA $46,610
Fort Smith, AR $46,490
El Paso, TX $46,110
Columbus, GA $44,720
McAllen, TX $43,980
Lubbock, TX $41,110