Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Pennsylvania
SOC 47-5022 · Pennsylvania · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$52,354
$25.17/hr
8.8% lower than the US national median ($57,429)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators salary in Pennsylvania in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$46K
P25$49K
P50$52K
P75$58K
P90$60K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- manufacturing openings are at 4.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $52,354 to $58,074 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 9.3% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Manufacturing is running a 4.0% job-openings rate with quits at 1.6% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has held near 4.0% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 4.0% (down 54K) after July's durable-goods jump, which held at 4.4% on revision. Quits rose to 1.6%, led by nondurable goods.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings jumped to 4.4% (up 79K), all of it in durable goods, the biggest sector move this release. Quits eased to 1.4%.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Pennsylvania is $52,354 per year ($25.17/hr). This is 8.8% lower than the national median of $57,429.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
Wage Percentiles: Pennsylvania
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$22.02
$45,802
+10.1%
P25
$23.56
$49,005
+2.3%
P50MEDIAN
$25.17
$52,354
-8.8%
P75
$27.92
$58,074
-11.6%
P90Top earners
$28.95
$60,216
-26.9%
How Pennsylvania compares for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators in Pennsylvania is above national (+10.1%) at entry but below national (-26.9%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively lower toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $57,429 would sit at about the 72nd percentile in Pennsylvania.
The top of the range earns 1.31 times the bottom here against 1.98 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania employs 1,520 people in this role, 4.4% of the national total.
Get the full percentile report
P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-0.4%
Little or no change
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
36K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
NAICS 212300
17K
$56,780
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
NAICS 238900
4K
$60,600
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary in Pennsylvania?
The median (P50) annual salary for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Pennsylvania is approximately $52,354, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 8.8% lower than the national median of $57,429. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
