Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Cedar Rapids, IA, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $60,630 at the median, or about $29.15 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $68,154 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 24% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $61K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). 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 Cedar Rapids
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining pay in Cedar Rapids 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 $956/month, 24% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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 Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $62K | $67K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $62K | $70K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $87K | $84K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $81K | $77K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $26K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 24% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/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 Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,914/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Cedar Rapids?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Cedar Rapids pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $60,630 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,560, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $75,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,977/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 24% 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 Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (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 $68,154 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.