Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary
In Wheeling, WV-OH, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings earn $53,700 at the median, or about $25.82 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.32), which stretches that salary to about $60,802 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $991/month, or 28.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $54K get you in Wheeling?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wheeling’s Regional Price Parity (88.32). 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 Wheeling
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining pay in Wheeling tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $991/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.32 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in metros near Wheeling, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Beckley | $61K | $69K |
| Huntington-Ashland | $48K | $55K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $56K | $54K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wheeling, WV-OH
Entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $34K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wheeling?
Yes — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 27.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $991/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings in Wheeling?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,842/month. At HUD’s $991/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Wheeling?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Wheeling compare to the national average for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings?
Wheeling pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.32), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings make in Wheeling, WV-OH?
The median is $53,700 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,370, and experienced excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface minings can clear $80,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Wheeling?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,608/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $991/month, which eats 27.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary go in Wheeling?
Wheeling has a Regional Price Parity of 88.32 (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 $60,802 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.