The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in California is $73,580 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $80,730.
Pay spans roughly $49,150 at the 10th percentile to $138,050 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $35.38 per hour. An estimated 900 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in California.
| Median (annual) | $73,580 |
| Mean (annual) | $80,730 |
| Median (hourly) | $35.38 |
| 10th percentile | $49,150 |
| 90th percentile | $138,050 |
| Employment | 900 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.