Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (SOC 47-5022) earn a median $57,430 a year ($27.61 an hour) in the United States, with 34,480 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is North Dakota.
What excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining do
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators at surface mining sites operate or tend machinery fitted with scoops, shovels or buckets to dig and load loose material. They move levers, depress foot pedals and turn dials to run power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders and backhoes. Before work they set up or inspect the equipment, receive written or oral instructions on material movement or excavation, and become familiar with digging plans, the machine's capabilities and limitations and safe digging procedures. They follow hand signals, grade stakes and other markings so the work meets specifications. Other tasks include backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, making winter roads, creating or maintaining inclines and ramps, and moving materials over short distances. The occupation resembles construction equipment operators (47-2073), but this code is for surface mining work. Coal equipment operator, clam shovel operator and backhoe operator are among the listed titles.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Aerial Tram Operator, Air Shovel Operator, Back Digger Operator, Back Filler Operator, Back Hoe Machine Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.00 | $23.03 | $27.61 | $31.60 | $39.61 | $28.81 | 34,480 |
| Annual | $41,600 | $47,890 | $57,430 | $65,730 | $82,400 | $59,930 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $24.25 | $28.81 | $43.45 | $57.73 | $59.56 | $42.36 | 220 | 0.51 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $50,440 | $59,930 | $90,380 | $120,080 | $123,880 | $88,100 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $22.18 | $27.75 | $38.75 | $42.11 | $44.85 | $35.27 | 1,310 | 0.22 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $46,130 | $57,720 | $80,600 | $87,580 | $93,290 | $73,360 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $26.07 | $30.04 | $38.61 | $59.11 | $59.42 | $42.36 | 740 | 0.17 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $54,220 | $62,490 | $80,310 | $122,950 | $123,590 | $88,110 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $27.74 | $33.66 | $37.61 | $38.40 | $42.31 | $36.20 | 420 | 1.49 | 6.72 |
| Annual | $57,700 | $70,010 | $78,230 | $79,870 | $88,000 | $75,290 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $21.56 | $24.26 | $36.71 | $36.71 | $41.29 | $32.50 | 270 | 0.32 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $44,840 | $50,450 | $76,350 | $76,350 | $85,880 | $67,590 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.64 | $21.12 | $23.56 | $28.47 | $32.48 | $24.89 | 5,030 | 0.36 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $38,760 | $43,920 | $49,000 | $59,210 | $67,560 | $51,770 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $23.53 | $27.21 | $29.77 | $33.68 | $43.44 | $31.59 | 1,530 | 0.48 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $48,940 | $56,600 | $61,910 | $70,050 | $90,350 | $65,710 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $22.02 | $23.56 | $25.17 | $27.92 | $28.95 | $25.93 | 1,520 | 0.25 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $45,800 | $49,000 | $52,350 | $58,070 | $60,220 | $53,930 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $21.60 | $23.00 | $27.94 | $34.14 | $45.67 | $29.79 | 1,490 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $44,930 | $47,840 | $58,120 | $71,020 | $95,000 | $61,950 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $19.41 | $21.87 | $25.00 | $29.07 | $30.60 | $25.88 | 1,480 | 0.15 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $40,370 | $45,490 | $51,990 | $60,460 | $63,640 | $53,840 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $26.37 | $30.99 | $68.74 | $68.74 | $68.74 | $51.02 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.19 |
| Annual | $54,840 | $64,450 | $142,970 | $142,970 | $142,970 | $106,120 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $33.09 | $35.21 | $58.85 | $66.15 | $68.56 | $53.36 | 90 | 0.04 | 0.18 |
| Annual | $68,830 | $73,240 | $122,410 | $137,590 | $142,600 | $110,990 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.28 | $31.45 | $45.65 | $59.11 | $59.40 | $42.94 | 880 | 0.09 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $58,810 | $65,410 | $94,960 | $122,950 | $123,540 | $89,320 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $22.39 | $30.76 | $41.85 | $44.85 | $47.77 | $38.59 | 570 | 0.13 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $46,560 | $63,970 | $87,060 | $93,290 | $99,360 | $80,260 | ||||
| Farmington, NM | Hourly | $21.93 | $32.82 | $41.29 | $41.29 | $41.35 | $37.71 | 50 | 0.97 | 4.37 |
| Annual | $45,610 | $68,270 | $85,880 | $85,880 | $86,000 | $78,430 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $19.61 | $22.34 | $24.89 | $29.32 | $32.82 | $25.77 | 990 | 0.24 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $40,800 | $46,460 | $51,780 | $60,980 | $68,260 | $53,590 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $18.98 | $21.74 | $24.00 | $29.52 | $31.75 | $25.38 | 890 | 0.27 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $39,470 | $45,230 | $49,920 | $61,390 | $66,040 | $52,790 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.28 | $31.45 | $45.65 | $59.11 | $59.40 | $42.94 | 880 | 0.09 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $58,810 | $65,410 | $94,960 | $122,950 | $123,540 | $89,320 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $23.48 | $24.10 | $27.14 | $28.23 | $31.38 | $26.77 | 630 | 0.22 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $48,830 | $50,140 | $56,460 | $58,710 | $65,270 | $55,670 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $22.39 | $30.76 | $41.85 | $44.85 | $47.77 | $38.59 | 570 | 0.13 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $46,560 | $63,970 | $87,060 | $93,290 | $99,360 | $80,260 | ||||
Top industries employing excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying employ 48.5% of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining nationally (16,740 jobs) at a median $56,780 a year ($27.30 an hour), followed by Other Specialty Trade Contractors (10.5%) and Coal Mining (9.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying NAICS 212300 | 16,740 | 48.5% | $56,780 | $27.30 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900 | 3,630 | 10.5% | $60,600 | $29.14 |
| Coal Mining NAICS 212100 | 3,190 | 9.3% | $70,050 | $33.68 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction NAICS 237300 | 1,290 | 3.7% | $51,630 | $24.82 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing NAICS 327000 | 990 | 2.9% | $51,560 | $24.79 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (34,480). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,740 for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in May 2021 and $57,430 in May 2025, with employment of 35,720 and 34,480.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,740 | $22.47 | 35,720 |
| May 2022 | $48,350 | $23.24 | 33,670 |
| May 2023 | $50,050 | $24.06 | 32,630 |
| May 2024 | $52,550 | $25.26 | 34,210 |
| May 2025 | $57,430 | $27.61 | 34,480 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota profile | $43.45 | $90,380 | $50,440 | $123,880 | 220 | 0.51 | 2.31 |
| 2 | Illinois profile | $38.75 | $80,600 | $46,130 | $93,290 | 1,310 | 0.22 | 0.97 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $38.61 | $80,310 | $54,220 | $123,590 | 740 | 0.17 | 0.78 |
| 4 | Wyoming profile | $37.61 | $78,230 | $57,700 | $88,000 | 420 | 1.49 | 6.72 |
| 5 | New Mexico profile | $36.71 | $76,350 | $44,840 | $85,880 | 270 | 0.32 | 1.42 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $36.57 | $76,070 | $55,210 | $110,730 | 280 | 0.08 | 0.35 |
| 7 | Alaska profile | $35.90 | $74,680 | $42,680 | $106,110 | 140 | 0.44 | 1.99 |
| 8 | California profile | $35.82 | $74,500 | $54,390 | $142,600 | 790 | 0.04 | 0.19 |
| 9 | Montana profile | $31.66 | $65,850 | $40,990 | $92,910 | 150 | 0.30 | 1.35 |
| 10 | Connecticut profile | $31.59 | $65,710 | $46,930 | $85,040 | 280 | 0.16 | 0.73 |
| 11 | Washington profile | $30.90 | $64,270 | $50,970 | $93,150 | 640 | 0.18 | 0.82 |
| 12 | Nevada profile | $30.68 | $63,810 | $46,920 | $88,760 | 730 | 0.47 | 2.11 |
| 13 | Indiana profile | $29.77 | $61,910 | $48,940 | $90,350 | 1,530 | 0.48 | 2.16 |
| 14 | West Virginia profile | $29.49 | $61,330 | $46,030 | $79,320 | 650 | 0.93 | 4.18 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $29.46 | $61,280 | $50,390 | $74,420 | 310 | 0.16 | 0.72 |
| 16 | Minnesota profile | $29.45 | $61,260 | $47,100 | $85,030 | 520 | 0.18 | 0.79 |
| 17 | Colorado profile | $29.34 | $61,020 | $49,400 | $94,930 | 820 | 0.28 | 1.28 |
| 18 | Arizona profile | $29.00 | $60,310 | $47,510 | $88,130 | 560 | 0.17 | 0.78 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | $28.75 | $59,790 | $44,760 | $71,050 | 250 | 0.81 | 3.67 |
| 20 | Rhode Island profile | $28.65 | $59,590 | $46,120 | $73,860 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.48 |
| 21 | Virginia profile | $28.60 | $59,480 | $40,410 | $83,080 | 1,150 | 0.28 | 1.26 |
| 22 | Iowa profile | $28.55 | $59,390 | $41,600 | $63,590 | 560 | 0.36 | 1.62 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | $28.38 | $59,040 | $45,730 | $71,090 | 880 | 0.20 | 0.90 |
| 24 | Idaho profile | $28.21 | $58,670 | $47,060 | $71,750 | 190 | 0.22 | 0.99 |
| 25 | North Carolina profile | $28.18 | $58,620 | $46,780 | $64,020 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | New Hampshire profile | $28.14 | $58,540 | $48,010 | $83,530 | 350 | 0.52 | 2.32 |
| 27 | Nebraska profile | $28.06 | $58,370 | $46,800 | $65,820 | 300 | 0.29 | 1.31 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $28.02 | $58,280 | $49,110 | $73,870 | 990 | 0.34 | 1.51 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $28.00 | $58,240 | $45,610 | $97,020 | 1,120 | 0.20 | 0.91 |
| 30 | New York profile | $27.94 | $58,120 | $44,930 | $95,000 | 1,490 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
| 31 | Maryland profile | $27.70 | $57,610 | $41,600 | $75,730 | 730 | 0.26 | 1.18 |
| 32 | Missouri profile | $27.29 | $56,760 | $43,370 | $61,720 | 310 | 0.11 | 0.48 |
| 33 | Maine profile | $26.87 | $55,890 | $44,480 | $76,230 | 230 | 0.35 | 1.60 |
| 34 | Utah profile | $26.12 | $54,330 | $46,560 | $69,180 | 400 | 0.23 | 1.05 |
| 35 | Louisiana profile | $25.73 | $53,510 | $23,660 | $64,120 | 280 | 0.14 | 0.65 |
| 36 | South Carolina profile | $25.28 | $52,580 | $39,020 | $61,730 | 330 | 0.15 | 0.65 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.17 | $52,350 | $45,800 | $60,220 | 1,520 | 0.25 | 1.13 |
| 38 | Florida profile | $25.00 | $51,990 | $40,370 | $63,640 | 1,480 | 0.15 | 0.67 |
| 39 | Georgia profile | $24.18 | $50,290 | $44,270 | $61,990 | 1,180 | 0.24 | 1.08 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $23.80 | $49,500 | $40,800 | $76,000 | 550 | 0.17 | 0.76 |
| 41 | Texas profile | $23.56 | $49,000 | $38,760 | $67,560 | 5,030 | 0.36 | 1.61 |
| 42 | Kansas profile | $23.53 | $48,950 | $44,180 | $57,970 | 270 | 0.19 | 0.85 |
| 43 | Mississippi profile | $23.31 | $48,490 | $35,150 | $59,020 | 290 | 0.25 | 1.12 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | $23.20 | $48,250 | $41,600 | $61,980 | 280 | 0.61 | 2.74 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $22.97 | $47,780 | $37,210 | $68,390 | 790 | 0.40 | 1.79 |
| 46 | Alabama profile | $22.97 | $47,770 | $36,770 | $59,000 | 410 | 0.19 | 0.88 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $22.64 | $47,100 | $40,000 | $55,990 | 1,440 | 0.84 | 3.80 |
| 48 | Delaware profile | $22.55 | $46,900 | $36,480 | $70,440 | 130 | 0.27 | 1.21 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $22.20 | $46,170 | $37,690 | $49,700 | 250 | 0.19 | 0.87 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-5020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-5022 Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-5022, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-5022.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.