Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $48,770 at the median, or about $23.45 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $42,721 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,436/month, about 69.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $57K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,436/month, which is 70.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 114.16), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in metros near Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | $50K | $51K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $47K | $47K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $56K | $56K |
| Columbus | $45K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $22K 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 70.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,305/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 106% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $49K here vs. $57K nationally.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $48,770 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,420, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $60,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,435/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 70.9% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary is worth about $42,721 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.