Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
Less than 5 years
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators in surface mining play a key role in moving earth and materials in mining environments. Nationally, there are about 36,000 people working in this occupation, with a national median annual salary of $52,550. The role is accessible to those with a high school diploma or equivalent, making it a potential option for people who want to enter a specialized trade without a higher degree. Workers use a mix of mechanical ability, physical strength and stamina, and fine motor skills, supported by problem solving and decision making. Interpersonal skills, leadership, and project management also matter, reflecting the need to coordinate with others and keep work on track. While projected national employment growth is slightly negative, there are still an estimated 3,000 annual openings, suggesting ongoing replacement demand and movement within the field. For people interested in hands-on, equipment-focused work, this role offers a defined career path with clear skill expectations.
The national median annual salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators in surface mining is $52,550. Earnings differ meaningfully by location. Among states with the strongest opportunity scores, median salaries range from $58,120 in New York up to $76,070 in Massachusetts and $74,500 in California. Colorado and Washington also stand above the national median, at $61,020 and $64,270 respectively. At the metro level, pay can be substantially higher. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area reports a median salary of $122,410, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ shows $94,960. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is also elevated at $82,560, while Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offers $76,110. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro’s median salary of $61,040 is closer to the higher-paying states. These figures indicate that choosing certain states and metros can significantly influence earning potential within this occupation.
This occupation has national employment of about 36,000, with projected employment growth of -0.4%. Although this is a slight decline, there are still an estimated 3,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that much of the opportunity comes from replacement needs, such as workers retiring or changing occupations, rather than overall expansion of the field. The growth rate is consistent across the highlighted states and metro areas, all showing -0.4% projected growth. For career planning, this means job seekers may benefit from focusing on locations with stronger opportunity scores and larger existing employment bases, since overall headcount is not expected to increase. The ongoing annual openings indicate that people entering the field can still find opportunities, but should be prepared for a relatively stable or slightly contracting employment environment. Considering similar occupations such as logging equipment operators, earth drillers (except oil and gas), and related extraction and machine operator roles may provide additional options for those wanting to work with heavy equipment.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators. At the state level, California and Massachusetts stand out with higher median salaries of $74,500 and $76,070, and strong CareerGPS opportunity scores of 67.38 and 65.87. New York combines a lower median salary than those two states ($58,120) with the highest employment among them at 1,490, and an opportunity score of 65.78. Colorado and Washington offer median salaries of $61,020 and $64,270, with moderate employment levels and opportunity scores in the mid-50s. Metro-area data show even sharper contrasts. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA reports a median salary of $122,410, while New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ shows $94,960 and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $82,560, all with high opportunity scores above 68. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offer mid-range salaries and solid opportunity scores. These variations highlight the value of comparing both salary and opportunity score when choosing where to work.
The typical education requirement for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators in surface mining is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who want to move into a skilled occupation without completing a college degree. Success in this role relies heavily on specific abilities and workplace skills. Fine motor skills, mechanical aptitude, and physical strength and stamina are central, reflecting the need to work effectively with equipment and endure physically demanding conditions. Problem solving and decision making, together with being detail oriented, help operators handle day-to-day situations accurately and safely. Leadership, interpersonal skills, and project management indicate that operators may coordinate with others and contribute to keeping work organized and on schedule. Science and mathematics also appear among the top skills, signaling that comfort with basic technical concepts and quantitative thinking can support performance. For students and career changers, developing this blend of physical, mechanical, and cognitive skills aligns well with the expectations of the occupation.
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