The highest-paying states for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $73,650, Wyoming is the highest paying state for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators. It is followed by Alaska (average annual salary $72,630). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $73,650 |
$56,660 | 570 |
| 2 | Alaska | $72,630 |
$40,540 | 170 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $68,300 |
$45,630 | 950 |
| 4 | New York | $62,350 |
$34,740 | 2,210 |
| 5 | Nevada | $59,420 |
$33,540 | 330 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $59,060 |
$38,560 | 390 |
| 7 | California | $58,720 |
$39,270 | 2,660 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $57,510 |
$29,980 | 200 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $56,710 |
$25,630 | 580 |
| 10 | Washington | $52,750 |
$36,120 | 480 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $52,710 |
$24,160 | 820 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $52,410 |
$40,240 | 140 |
| 13 | Maryland | $51,590 |
$36,480 | 1,500 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $51,300 |
$38,100 | 70 |
| 15 | Colorado | $50,590 |
$35,880 | 850 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $49,910 |
$35,190 | 1,360 |
| 17 | Montana | $49,860 |
$27,130 | 190 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $48,410 |
$33,010 | 1,170 |
| 19 | Delaware | $48,080 |
$35,590 | 150 |
| 20 | Illinois | $47,980 |
$32,360 | 560 |
| 21 | Oregon | $47,950 |
$34,410 | 640 |
| 22 | Missouri | $47,910 |
$31,390 | 1,470 |
| 23 | Arizona | $46,480 |
$33,830 | 900 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $46,120 |
$31,770 | 120 |
| 25 | Kansas | $45,420 |
$31,660 | 300 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $45,410 |
$31,400 | 460 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $45,090 |
$31,880 | 510 |
| 28 | Idaho | $44,410 |
$29,110 | 180 |
| 29 | Utah | $44,240 |
$33,240 | 600 |
| 30 | Iowa | $43,990 |
$30,080 | 240 |
| 31 | Indiana | $43,660 |
$27,730 | 530 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $43,310 |
$23,980 | 630 |
| 33 | Ohio | $42,580 |
$22,480 | 1,010 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $42,470 |
$28,660 | 920 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $42,330 |
$29,210 | 870 |
| 36 | Virginia | $41,950 |
$31,660 | 1,820 |
| 37 | Michigan | $41,780 |
$19,260 | 1,080 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $41,390 |
$30,400 | 170 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $41,240 |
$28,150 | 380 |
| 40 | Vermont | $40,130 |
$32,800 | 320 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $40,030 |
$31,660 | 1,530 |
| 42 | Maine | $39,790 |
$31,680 | 760 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $39,780 |
$30,060 | 1,070 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $39,520 |
$28,940 | 240 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $38,820 |
$25,920 | 400 |
| 46 | Alabama | $38,620 |
$25,960 | 880 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $38,220 |
$27,110 | 550 |
| 48 | Texas | $38,170 |
$27,780 | 6,510 |
| 49 | Georgia | $37,670 |
$30,890 | 1,490 |
| 50 | Florida | $37,650 |
$25,260 | 2,460 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $37,140 |
$27,670 | 1,460 |
| 52 | Guam | $36,440 |
$26,940 | 130 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $20,840 |
$16,710 | 140 |