The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $59,840 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $57,030.
Pay spans roughly $41,680 at the 10th percentile to $75,660 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $28.77 per hour. An estimated 100 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
| Median (annual) | $59,840 |
| Mean (annual) | $57,030 |
| Median (hourly) | $28.77 |
| 10th percentile | $41,680 |
| 90th percentile | $75,660 |
| Employment | 100 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.