The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in South Dakota is $51,920 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $53,390.
Pay spans roughly $45,460 at the 10th percentile to $63,540 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $24.96 per hour. An estimated 270 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in South Dakota.
| Median (annual) | $51,920 |
| Mean (annual) | $53,390 |
| Median (hourly) | $24.96 |
| 10th percentile | $45,460 |
| 90th percentile | $63,540 |
| Employment | 270 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.