Average Salary for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators
SOC 53-7032 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 2018 data
The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators in the United States is $44,270 ($21.28/hr), based on 2018 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $29,580 at the 10th percentile to $74,460 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 46,090 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 11.1% since 2014.
Median Annual
$44,270
Mean Annual
$48,680
10th Pct
$29,580
75th Pct
$56,810
Employment
46,090
Salary Distribution
$30k
10th
$36k
25th
$44k
Median
$57k
75th
$74k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $80,450 |
| Anchorage, AK | $79,200 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $76,620 |
| Redding, CA | $74,910 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $73,000 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $70,540 |
| Appleton, WI | $68,990 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $64,860 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $63,350 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $63,340 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $62,820 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $61,670 |
| Fresno, CA | $59,580 |
| Boulder, CO | $59,450 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $59,140 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | $73,650 |
| Alaska | $72,630 |
| New Jersey | $68,300 |
| New York | $62,350 |
| Nevada | $59,420 |
| North Dakota | $59,060 |
| California | $58,720 |
| Connecticut | $57,510 |
| Minnesota | $56,710 |
| Washington | $52,750 |
| Massachusetts | $52,710 |
| District of Columbia | $52,410 |
| Maryland | $51,590 |
| Rhode Island | $51,300 |
| Colorado | $50,590 |
| Wisconsin | $49,910 |
| Montana | $49,860 |
| West Virginia | $48,410 |
| Delaware | $48,080 |
| Illinois | $47,980 |
| Oregon | $47,950 |
| Missouri | $47,910 |
| Arizona | $46,480 |
| Hawaii | $46,120 |
| Kansas | $45,420 |
| New Hampshire | $45,410 |
| South Carolina | $45,090 |
| Idaho | $44,410 |
| Utah | $44,240 |
| Iowa | $43,990 |
| Indiana | $43,660 |
| Kentucky | $43,310 |
| Ohio | $42,580 |
| Louisiana | $42,470 |
| Oklahoma | $42,330 |
| Virginia | $41,950 |
| Michigan | $41,780 |
| New Mexico | $41,390 |
| South Dakota | $41,240 |
| Vermont | $40,130 |
| North Carolina | $40,030 |
| Maine | $39,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,780 |
| Nebraska | $39,520 |
| Arkansas | $38,820 |
| Alabama | $38,620 |
| Mississippi | $38,220 |
| Texas | $38,170 |
| Georgia | $37,670 |
| Florida | $37,650 |
| Tennessee | $37,140 |
| Guam | $36,440 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,840 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators broken down by industry sector, 2018 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $76,200 |
| Utilities | $70,040 |
| Utilities | $70,040 |
| Other Building Equipment Contractors | $66,880 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $63,370 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation | $61,290 |
| Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors | $60,900 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors | $56,370 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | $56,300 |
| Rail Transportation | $54,650 |
| Rail Transportation | $54,650 |
| Coal Mining | $54,140 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | $54,090 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | $51,700 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | $51,530 |
| Death Care Services | $51,530 |
| Metal Ore Mining | $51,280 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | $50,640 |
| Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | $49,990 |
| Paper Manufacturing | $49,900 |
| Food Manufacturing | $48,330 |
| Construction of Buildings | $47,640 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $47,530 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | $47,490 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | $47,440 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | $47,250 |
| Utility System Construction | $46,830 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | $46,750 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $46,710 |
| Waste Collection | $46,250 |
| Landscaping Services | $46,220 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | $46,220 |
| Mining (except Oil and Gas) | $45,560 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $45,470 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $45,470 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $45,370 |
| Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | $45,330 |
| Pipeline Transportation | $44,490 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas | $44,490 |
| Construction | $44,480 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $44,440 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | $44,400 |
| Cross-industry, private ownership only | $44,350 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $44,280 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $44,280 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $44,160 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $44,160 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | $43,940 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | $43,860 |
| Residential Building Construction | $43,790 |
| Support Activities for Rail Transportation | $43,560 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $43,550 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $43,250 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $43,160 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $43,160 |
| Wood Product Manufacturing | $43,140 |
| Manufacturing | $42,930 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | $42,930 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $42,860 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | $42,250 |
| Local government, including schools and hospitals | $42,150 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OES Designation) | $42,040 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OES Designation) | $42,040 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $41,970 |
| Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | $41,950 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $41,930 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $41,930 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | $41,740 |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | $41,410 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | $41,120 |
| Waste Treatment and Disposal | $40,470 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | $40,130 |
| Truck Transportation | $40,050 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $39,380 |
| Employment Services | $39,060 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $38,910 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $38,910 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $38,910 |
| Wholesale Trade | $38,880 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems | $38,670 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $38,590 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $38,580 |
| State government, including schools and hospitals | $38,410 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $38,400 |
| Temporary Help Services | $38,330 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | $38,310 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $37,650 |
| Land Subdivision | $37,480 |
| Engineering Services | $37,210 |
| Logging | $37,190 |
| Forestry and Logging | $37,190 |
| Rental and Leasing Services | $36,590 |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) | $36,590 |
| Sawmills and Wood Preservation | $34,900 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | $34,780 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $34,100 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $34,100 |
| Retail Trade | $32,320 |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers | $31,660 |
| Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores | $31,660 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | $29,860 |
| Repair and Maintenance | $29,860 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $44,270 |
| 2017 | $42,500 |
| 2016 | $41,030 |
| 2015 | $40,050 |
| 2014 | $39,830 |