Careers / Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$57,430
United States, 2025
Employment
34,480
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
- O*NET code
- 47-5022.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Receive written or oral instructions regarding material movement or excavation.
- Move materials over short distances, such as around a construction site, factory, or warehouse.
- Create or maintain inclines or ramps.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$41,600
25th percentile
$47,890
75th percentile
$65,730
90th percentile
$82,400
Most important skills
- Operation and Control4.1
- Operations Monitoring3.6
- Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Repairing3.0
- Equipment Selection3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 18 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
18
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 4.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Repairing | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Equipment Selection | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface MiningHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | $142,970 | 40 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,410 | 90 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $94,960 | 880 | 2025 |
| ND | $90,380 | 220 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $87,060 | 570 | 2025 |
| Farmington, NM | $85,880 | 50 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $82,560 | 30 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $81,180 | 210 | 2025 |
| IL | $80,600 | 1,310 | 2025 |
| NJ | $80,310 | 740 | 2025 |
| WY | $78,230 | 420 | 2025 |
| NM | $76,350 | 270 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $76,110 | 180 | 2025 |
| MA | $76,070 | 280 | 2025 |
| College Station, TX | $75,440 | 60 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $75,110 | 70 | 2025 |
| AK | $74,680 | 140 | 2025 |
| CA | $74,500 | 790 | 2025 |
| Fresno, CA | $74,390 | 30 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $73,780 | 60 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.