The median annual wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is $50,400 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $49,620.
Pay spans roughly $39,970 at the 10th percentile to $65,120 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $24.23 per hour. An estimated 150 people work as excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
| Median (annual) | $50,400 |
| Mean (annual) | $49,620 |
| Median (hourly) | $24.23 |
| 10th percentile | $39,970 |
| 90th percentile | $65,120 |
| Employment | 150 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.