Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $53,420 at the median, or about $25.68 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $54,544 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 48.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $53K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk tracks closely to the national median, $53K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 48.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $59K | $60K |
| Roanoke | $47K | $50K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $61K | $56K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $56K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $28K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 48.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
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 $2,327/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $53K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $53,420 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,790, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $66,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,534/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 48.5% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $54,544 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.