The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Iowa is $52,170 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $53,880.
Pay spans roughly $40,750 at the 10th percentile to $62,700 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $25.08 per hour. An estimated 710 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Iowa.
| Median (annual) | $52,170 |
| Mean (annual) | $53,880 |
| Median (hourly) | $25.08 |
| 10th percentile | $40,750 |
| 90th percentile | $62,700 |
| Employment | 710 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.