The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $63,680 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $73,710.
Pay spans roughly $45,660 at the 10th percentile to $115,260 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $30.61 per hour. An estimated 390 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
| Median (annual) | $63,680 |
| Mean (annual) | $73,710 |
| Median (hourly) | $30.61 |
| 10th percentile | $45,660 |
| 90th percentile | $115,260 |
| Employment | 390 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.