The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Illinois is $62,320 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $64,490.
Pay spans roughly $43,930 at the 10th percentile to $88,950 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $29.96 per hour. An estimated 1,020 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Illinois.
| Median (annual) | $62,320 |
| Mean (annual) | $64,490 |
| Median (hourly) | $29.96 |
| 10th percentile | $43,930 |
| 90th percentile | $88,950 |
| Employment | 1,020 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.