Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining is $57,430, or $27.61 per hour. About 34,480 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $90,380 in North Dakota to $46,170 in Arkansas.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 49 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $90,380 | $43.45 | 220 | 2.31 |
| 2 | Illinois | $80,600 | $38.75 | 1,310 | 0.97 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $80,310 | $38.61 | 740 | 0.78 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $78,230 | $37.61 | 420 | 6.72 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $76,350 | $36.71 | 270 | 1.42 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $76,070 | $36.57 | 280 | 0.35 |
| 7 | Alaska | $74,680 | $35.90 | 140 | 1.99 |
| 8 | California | $74,500 | $35.82 | 790 | 0.19 |
| 9 | Montana | $65,850 | $31.66 | 150 | 1.35 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $65,710 | $31.59 | 280 | 0.73 |
| 11 | Washington | $64,270 | $30.90 | 640 | 0.82 |
| 12 | Nevada | $63,810 | $30.68 | 730 | 2.11 |
| 13 | Indiana | $61,910 | $29.77 | 1,530 | 2.16 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $61,330 | $29.49 | 650 | 4.18 |
| 15 | Oregon | $61,280 | $29.46 | 310 | 0.72 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $61,260 | $29.45 | 520 | 0.79 |
| 17 | Colorado | $61,020 | $29.34 | 820 | 1.28 |
| 18 | Arizona | $60,310 | $29.00 | 560 | 0.78 |
| 19 | Vermont | $59,790 | $28.75 | 250 | 3.67 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $59,590 | $28.65 | 50 | 0.48 |
| 21 | Virginia | $59,480 | $28.60 | 1,150 | 1.26 |
| 22 | Iowa | $59,390 | $28.55 | 560 | 1.62 |
| 23 | Michigan | $59,040 | $28.38 | 880 | 0.90 |
| 24 | Idaho | $58,670 | $28.21 | 190 | 0.99 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $58,620 | $28.18 | — | — |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $58,540 | $28.14 | 350 | 2.32 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $58,370 | $28.06 | 300 | 1.31 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $58,280 | $28.02 | 990 | 1.51 |
| 29 | Ohio | $58,240 | $28.00 | 1,120 | 0.91 |
| 30 | New York | $58,120 | $27.94 | 1,490 | 0.69 |
| 31 | Maryland | $57,610 | $27.70 | 730 | 1.18 |
| 32 | Missouri | $56,760 | $27.29 | 310 | 0.48 |
| 33 | Maine | $55,890 | $26.87 | 230 | 1.60 |
| 34 | Utah | $54,330 | $26.12 | 400 | 1.05 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $53,510 | $25.73 | 280 | 0.65 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $52,580 | $25.28 | 330 | 0.65 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $52,350 | $25.17 | 1,520 | 1.13 |
| 38 | Florida | $51,990 | $25.00 | 1,480 | 0.67 |
| 39 | Georgia | $50,290 | $24.18 | 1,180 | 1.08 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $49,500 | $23.80 | 550 | 0.76 |
| 41 | Texas | $49,000 | $23.56 | 5,030 | 1.61 |
| 42 | Kansas | $48,950 | $23.53 | 270 | 0.85 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $48,490 | $23.31 | 290 | 1.12 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $48,250 | $23.20 | 280 | 2.74 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $47,780 | $22.97 | 790 | 1.79 |
| 46 | Alabama | $47,770 | $22.97 | 410 | 0.88 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $47,100 | $22.64 | 1,440 | 3.80 |
| 48 | Delaware | $46,900 | $22.55 | 130 | 1.21 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $46,170 | $22.20 | 250 | 0.87 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining make?
The median annual wage for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in the United States is $57,430, or $27.61 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $41,600, and the top 10% earn $82,400.
How many excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining are employed in the U.S.?
About 34,480 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining nationwide.
Which state pays excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining the most?
North Dakota pays the most at a median of $90,380, followed by Illinois ($80,600) and New Jersey ($80,310).
Which state pays excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining the least?
Arkansas has the lowest median at $46,170.
Where are excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Wyoming at 6.72×.