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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining vs. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers: Who Earns More?

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers out-earn Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining by $22K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining land at $57,430 and First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers at $79,920. The education gap is real: excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction worker programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining is North Dakota ($90,380); for First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers it's Washington ($109,570).

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Median salary
$57,430
$79,920
Hourly rate
$27.61/hr
$38.42/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$41,600
$53,280
Senior level (90th %)
$82,400
$128,260
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
34,480
812,210
Job growth (10-year)
-0.4%
5.3%
Category
Construction & Trades
Construction & Trades
Top-paying state
North Dakota
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining median pay.

State
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Illinois
$80,600
$105,750
New Jersey
$80,310
$105,510
Massachusetts
$76,070
$97,850
Alaska
$74,680
$102,140
California
$74,500
$97,680
Connecticut
$65,710
$92,260
Washington
$64,270
$109,570
Indiana
$61,910
$82,530
Oregon
$61,280
$103,070
Minnesota
$61,260
$97,610
Vermont
$59,790
$82,490
Rhode Island
$59,590
$98,590
Wisconsin
$58,280
$85,350
New York
$58,120
$95,700
Missouri
$56,760
$87,520

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining or First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers?

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers earn more nationally. The median is $57,430 for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining versus $79,920 for First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, a difference of $22K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining or First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers?

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers has the better 10-year outlook at 5.3% projected growth, compared to -0.4% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining or First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers?

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining get paid the most?

North Dakota is the top-paying state for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining at $90,380/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining vs. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Illinois, Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining earn $80,600 vs. $105,750 for First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary breakdownView →Full First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining by take-home payExplore →Best cities for First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers by take-home payExplore →How to become a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface miningGuide →How to become a first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workersGuide →