Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Maine, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $55,890 at the median, or about $26.87 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.7), that's roughly $57,206 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,281/month, about 35.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maine. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $56K get you in Maine?
About excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings
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What this looks like in Maine
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining pay in Maine tracks closely to the national median, $56K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,281/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maine
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary by metro in Maine
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland | $57K | +1% | 50 |
Compare to other states
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 Maine?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 34.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,281/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Maine?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,669/month. At HUD’s $1,281/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Maine?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $56K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Maine compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Maine pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Maine?
The median is $55,890 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,480, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $76,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Maine?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,699/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,281/month, which eats 34.6% 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 Maine?
Maine has a Regional Price Parity of 97.7 (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 $57,206 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.