Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Oklahoma City, OK, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $47,100 at the median, or about $22.64 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.41), which stretches that salary to about $52,096 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,244/month, about 38.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $47K actually covers in Oklahoma City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Oklahoma City’s Regional Price Parity (90.41). 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 Oklahoma City
Pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Oklahoma City runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $57K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,244/month, which is 39.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.41 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in metros near Oklahoma City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | $48K | $54K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $52K | $50K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $50K | $51K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $48K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Oklahoma City, OK
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $15K 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 annually. We'll email you when Oklahoma City numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining afford a 2BR apartment alone in Oklahoma City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 39.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,244/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 Oklahoma City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,821/month. At HUD’s $1,244/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 Oklahoma City?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $47K here vs. $57K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Oklahoma City compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Oklahoma City pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Oklahoma City, OK?
The median is $47,100 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,430, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $55,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Oklahoma City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,178/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,244/month, which eats 39.1% 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 Oklahoma City?
Oklahoma City has a Regional Price Parity of 90.41 (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 $52,096 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.