The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $40,230 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $44,770.
Pay spans roughly $38,070 at the 10th percentile to $52,000 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $19.34 per hour. An estimated 310 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
| Median (annual) | $40,230 |
| Mean (annual) | $44,770 |
| Median (hourly) | $19.34 |
| 10th percentile | $38,070 |
| 90th percentile | $52,000 |
| Employment | 310 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.