Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Beckley, WV, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $60,610 at the median, or about $29.14 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.37), which stretches that salary to about $68,587 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $944/month, or 23.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $61K actually covers in Beckley, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Beckley’s Regional Price Parity (88.37). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Beckley
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining pay in Beckley tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 6% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $944/month, 23.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in metros near Beckley, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $56K | $54K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $58K |
| Pittsburgh | $51K | $54K |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $61K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Beckley, WV
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $9K 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 with published data
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
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Beckley numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining afford a 2BR apartment alone in Beckley?
Yes — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 23.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $944/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in Beckley?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,719/month. At HUD’s $944/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining a high-paying job in Beckley?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Beckley compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Beckley pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Beckley, WV?
The median is $60,610 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,450, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $64,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Beckley?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,044/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $944/month, which eats 23.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary go in Beckley?
Beckley has a Regional Price Parity of 88.37 (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 $68,587 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.