Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Texas, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $49,000 at the median, or about $23.56 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $53,558 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 40.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Texas?
About excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Texas 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 $1,415/month, which is 41% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 minings.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary by metro in Texas
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Station-Bryan | $75K | +54% | 60 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $52K | +6% | 990 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $51K | +5% | 520 |
| Odessa | $50K | +3% | 40 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $50K | +2% | 890 |
| Midland | $49K | +0% | 150 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $48K | -2% | 540 |
| El Paso | $46K | -6% | 90 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $44K | -10% | 50 |
| Lubbock | $41K | -16% | 60 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 41% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,326/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $49K here vs. $57K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Texas pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Texas?
The median is $49,000 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,760, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $67,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,451/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 41% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $53,558 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.