Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

Median salary

$57,430

Average salary

$59,930

Employment

34,480

Projected growth

0.4% decline

Annual openings

3,100

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Do

Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 3.2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 3.2/5
Building and Constructionimportance 3.2/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.0/5
English Languageimportance 2.6/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.6/5
Designimportance 2.4/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.4/5
Transportationimportance 2.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.7/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
Contact With Others4.4/5
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration4.4/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Continuous Mining Machine Operators96% skill match
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators95% skill match
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas94% skill match
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders94% skill match
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic94% skill match
Motorboat Operators94% skill match
Crane and Tower Operators94% skill match
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operation and Controlimportance 4.1/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.6/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Persuasionimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
Equipment Selectionimportance 3.0/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Email software
Google Gmail
Machine control systems
Machine monitoring software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Stress Tolerance
Perseverance
Self-Confidence
Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
ArtisticLow
SocialLow
EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).