Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Charleston, SC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Median annual salary $40,230 -23.4% vs national
Median hourly $19.34
10th percentile $38,070
90th percentile $52,000
Employed locally 310
National median $52,550

Compare Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Charleston, SC stacks up on salary and cost of living.

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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
in
Charleston, SC
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $38,070
    25th
    $38,080
    50th (median)
    $40,230
    75th
    $52,000
    90th
    $52,000

    Charleston economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.50% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $82,272 2023 • Census ACS
    Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary vs area income 49% Median Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary is 51% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $139,310
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $121,790
    West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area $111,600
    New Jersey $105,490
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $95,260
    New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $94,470

    Nearby metros — Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $121,790
    Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ $67,260
    Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area $58,120
    Wisconsin $57,830
    Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $57,630
    Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $56,570

    Related occupations in Charleston, SC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Construction Laborers $43,280
    First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $76,350
    Electricians $57,220
    Carpenters $50,620
    Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $48,320
    Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $56,520

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining make per hour in Charleston?

    The median hourly wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Charleston, SC is $19.34, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $25.00 or more per hour.

    Is Charleston above or below average for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salaries?

    The median Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary in Charleston, SC is 23.4% below the national median of $52,550. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Charleston?

    Entry-level Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (10th percentile) earn around $38,070 per year in Charleston, SC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $38,080.