Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Farmington, NM, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $85,880 at the median, or about $41.29 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.71), which stretches that salary to about $97,914 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,085/month, or 20% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $86K get you in Farmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Farmington’s Regional Price Parity (87.71). 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 Farmington
Farmington sits well above the national pay line for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining, local pay runs about 50% higher than the U.S. median of $57K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,085/month, 19.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.71 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Farmington offers a genuinely strong financial position for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in metros near Farmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $65K | $68K |
| St. George | $60K | $62K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $52K | $50K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $50K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Farmington, NM
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $86K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $40K 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 Farmington 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 Farmington?
Yes — at the median salary of $86K, rent takes 19.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/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 Farmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,737/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 Farmington?
Local pay is 50% above the national median — $86K here vs. $57K nationally.
How does Farmington compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Farmington pays $86K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s +50%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Farmington, NM?
The median is $85,880 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,610, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $86,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $86K enough to live in Farmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,466/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 19.8% 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 Farmington?
Farmington has a Regional Price Parity of 87.71 (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 $97,914 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.