Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary by state
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining is a professional role in the Construction and Extraction job family, focused on Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Minings do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.
Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.
Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads.
Top skills:Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringMonitoringTroubleshootingTime ManagementSpeaking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary by industry
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
21,620 workers
$61,500
Construction
7,850 workers
$62,500
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
1,680 workers
$60,000
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
920 workers
$51,500
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
690 workers
$71,000
Utilities
270 workers
$119,500
Sectors 48 and 49 – Transportation and Warehousing
270 workers
$61,000
Wholesale Trade
150 workers
$65,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pays 3% below the average across 60 roles in the Construction and Extraction job family (family average $64,000).
Similar-paying roles in Construction and Extraction
How much does a Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining make?
The average base salary for a Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in the United States is $62,000 per year, or about $29.81 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $49,500 and $68,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Construction and Extraction roles?
The Construction and Extraction job family averages $64,000 across 60 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
