Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $49,520 at the median, or about $23.81 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.9), which stretches that salary to about $53,885 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,261/month, about 37.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Augusta-Richmond County?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Augusta-Richmond County’s Regional Price Parity (91.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings
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What this looks like in Augusta-Richmond County
Pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Augusta-Richmond County runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $57K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,261/month, which is 38.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in metros near Augusta-Richmond County, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $56K | $56K |
| Columbus | $45K | $50K |
| Macon-Bibb County | $48K | $55K |
| Savannah | $49K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $90K | +57% | 220 |
| Illinois | $81K | +40% | 1,310 |
| New Jersey | $80K | +40% | 740 |
| Wyoming | $78K | +36% | 420 |
| New Mexico | $76K | +33% | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | +32% | 280 |
| Alaska | $75K | +30% | 140 |
| California | $75K | +30% | 790 |
| Montana | $66K | +15% | 150 |
| Connecticut | $66K | +14% | 280 |
| Washington | $64K | +12% | 640 |
| Nevada | $64K | +11% | 730 |
| Indiana | $62K | +8% | 1,530 |
| West Virginia | $61K | +7% | 650 |
| Oregon | $61K | +7% | 310 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +7% | 520 |
| Colorado | $61K | +6% | 820 |
| Arizona | $60K | +5% | 560 |
| Vermont | $60K | +4% | 250 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | +4% | 50 |
| Virginia | $59K | +4% | 1,150 |
| Iowa | $59K | +3% | 560 |
| Michigan | $59K | +3% | 880 |
| Idaho | $59K | +2% | 190 |
| North Carolina | $59K | +2% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $59K | +2% | 350 |
| Nebraska | $58K | +2% | 300 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +1% | 990 |
| Ohio | $58K | +1% | 1,120 |
| New York | $58K | +1% | 1,490 |
| Maryland | $58K | +0% | 730 |
| Missouri | $57K | -1% | 310 |
| Maine | $56K | -3% | 230 |
| Utah | $54K | -5% | 400 |
| Louisiana | $54K | -7% | 280 |
| South Carolina | $53K | -8% | 330 |
| Pennsylvania | $52K | -9% | 1,520 |
| Florida | $52K | -9% | 1,480 |
| Georgia | $50K | -12% | 1,180 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -14% | 550 |
| Texas | $49K | -15% | 5,030 |
| Kansas | $49K | -15% | 270 |
| Mississippi | $48K | -16% | 290 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -16% | 280 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -17% | 790 |
| Alabama | $48K | -17% | 410 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -18% | 1,440 |
| Delaware | $47K | -18% | 130 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -20% | 250 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining afford a 2BR apartment alone in Augusta-Richmond County?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 38.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,261/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in Augusta-Richmond County?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,267/month. At HUD’s $1,261/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining a high-paying job in Augusta-Richmond County?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $50K here vs. $57K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Augusta-Richmond County compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Augusta-Richmond County pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?
The median is $49,520 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,780, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $59,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Augusta-Richmond County?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,297/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,261/month, which eats 38.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary go in Augusta-Richmond County?
Augusta-Richmond County has a Regional Price Parity of 91.9 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary is worth about $53,885 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.