SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-5022.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $41,600 | $3,467 | $800 | $20.00 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $47,890 | $3,991 | $921 | $23.03 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $57,430 | $4,786 | $1,104 | $27.61 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $65,730 | $5,478 | $1,264 | $31.60 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $82,400 | $6,867 | $1,585 | $39.61 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining is $57,430, which is 13% higher. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 29 by median pay. With 34,480 jobs, it makes up about 2.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay by state
The highest median pay was in North Dakota ($90,380), Illinois ($80,600) and New Jersey ($80,310). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($35,870), Arkansas ($46,170) and Delaware ($46,900). The most jobs were in Texas (5,030), Indiana (1,530) and Pennsylvania (1,520). The occupation is most concentrated in Wyoming, where its share of all jobs is 6.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 220 | $90,380 | $88,100 | $43.45 |
| Illinois | 1,310 | $80,600 | $73,360 | $38.75 |
| New Jersey | 740 | $80,310 | $88,110 | $38.61 |
| Wyoming | 420 | $78,230 | $75,290 | $37.61 |
| New Mexico | 270 | $76,350 | $67,590 | $36.71 |
| Massachusetts | 280 | $76,070 | $75,540 | $36.57 |
| Alaska | 140 | $74,680 | $75,720 | $35.90 |
| California | 790 | $74,500 | $85,520 | $35.82 |
| Montana | 150 | $65,850 | $66,850 | $31.66 |
| Connecticut | 280 | $65,710 | $68,460 | $31.59 |
| Washington | 640 | $64,270 | $71,140 | $30.90 |
| Nevada | 730 | $63,810 | $69,640 | $30.68 |
| Indiana | 1,530 | $61,910 | $65,710 | $29.77 |
| West Virginia | 650 | $61,330 | $62,500 | $29.49 |
| Oregon | 310 | $61,280 | $63,000 | $29.46 |
| Minnesota | 520 | $61,260 | $65,580 | $29.45 |
| Colorado | 820 | $61,020 | $67,370 | $29.34 |
| Arizona | 560 | $60,310 | $65,360 | $29.00 |
| Vermont | 250 | $59,790 | $56,900 | $28.75 |
| Rhode Island | 50 | $59,590 | $57,340 | $28.65 |
| Virginia | 1,150 | $59,480 | $60,280 | $28.60 |
| Iowa | 560 | $59,390 | $56,370 | $28.55 |
| Michigan | 880 | $59,040 | $58,710 | $28.38 |
| Idaho | 190 | $58,670 | $58,150 | $28.21 |
| North Carolina | not published | $58,620 | $55,860 | $28.18 |
| New Hampshire | 350 | $58,540 | $61,160 | $28.14 |
| Nebraska | 300 | $58,370 | $55,830 | $28.06 |
| Wisconsin | 990 | $58,280 | $59,180 | $28.02 |
| Ohio | 1,120 | $58,240 | $63,300 | $28.00 |
| New York | 1,490 | $58,120 | $61,950 | $27.94 |
| Maryland | 730 | $57,610 | $57,420 | $27.70 |
| Missouri | 310 | $56,760 | $55,740 | $27.29 |
| Maine | 230 | $55,890 | $57,470 | $26.87 |
| Utah | 400 | $54,330 | $56,280 | $26.12 |
| Louisiana | 280 | $53,510 | $49,000 | $25.73 |
| South Carolina | 330 | $52,580 | $53,000 | $25.28 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,520 | $52,350 | $53,930 | $25.17 |
| Florida | 1,480 | $51,990 | $53,840 | $25.00 |
| Georgia | 1,180 | $50,290 | $53,030 | $24.18 |
| Tennessee | 550 | $49,500 | $54,260 | $23.80 |
| Texas | 5,030 | $49,000 | $51,770 | $23.56 |
| Kansas | 270 | $48,950 | $51,140 | $23.53 |
| Mississippi | 290 | $48,490 | $48,150 | $23.31 |
| South Dakota | 280 | $48,250 | $50,850 | $23.20 |
| Kentucky | 790 | $47,780 | $52,300 | $22.97 |
| Alabama | 410 | $47,770 | $48,630 | $22.97 |
| Oklahoma | 1,440 | $47,100 | $49,420 | $22.64 |
| Delaware | 130 | $46,900 | $53,160 | $22.55 |
| Arkansas | 250 | $46,170 | $45,080 | $22.20 |
| Puerto Rico | 130 | $35,870 | $42,600 | $17.24 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical$58,340 a year
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- Stonemasons$57,390 a year
- Glaziers$57,080 a year
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$57,020 a year
Common questions
How much do Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining earn in the United States?
The median pay was $57,430 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41,600 and the highest-paid 10% more than $82,400.
How many people work as Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining?
About 34,480 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.