Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $48,190 at the median, or about $23.17 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.42), which stretches that salary to about $54,501 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $973/month, or 29.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $48K get you in Huntington-Ashland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Huntington-Ashland’s Regional Price Parity (88.42). 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 Huntington-Ashland
Pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Huntington-Ashland runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $57K. Rent runs $973/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.42 (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 Huntington-Ashland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Beckley | $61K | $69K |
| Wheeling | $54K | $61K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $56K | $54K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $51K 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 Huntington-Ashland numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining afford a 2BR apartment alone in Huntington-Ashland?
Yes — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 29.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $973/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 Huntington-Ashland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,194/month. At HUD’s $973/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Huntington-Ashland?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $48K here vs. $57K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Huntington-Ashland compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Huntington-Ashland pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?
The median is $48,190 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,560, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $88,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Huntington-Ashland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,261/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $973/month, which eats 29.8% 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 Huntington-Ashland?
Huntington-Ashland has a Regional Price Parity of 88.42 (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 $54,501 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.