Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Pennsylvania, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $52,350 at the median, or about $25.17 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $55,123 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 38.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $52K get you in Pennsylvania?
About excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $52K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 38.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary by metro in Pennsylvania
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | +13% | 290 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $56K | +8% | 80 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $53K | +1% | 50 |
| Pittsburgh | $51K | -2% | 270 |
| Lancaster | $51K | -3% | 100 |
Compare to other states
Track excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 38.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
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 $2,748/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $52K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Pennsylvania pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $52,350 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,800, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $60,220. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,541/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 38.2% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $55,123 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.