Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Fort Smith, AR-OK

Median annual salary $44,990 -14.4% vs national
Median hourly $21.63
10th percentile $37,980
90th percentile $54,500
Employed locally 50
National median $52,550

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

Type a city below to see how Fort Smith, AR-OK stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
in
Fort Smith, AR-OK
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $37,980
    25th
    $39,780
    50th (median)
    $44,990
    75th
    $47,100
    90th
    $54,500

    Fort Smith economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.50% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $56,717 2023 • Census ACS
    Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary vs area income 79% Median Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary is 21% 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
    West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area $111,600
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $95,260
    New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $94,470
    Farmington, NM $83,610
    Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area $81,880
    East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area $79,390

    Related occupations in Fort Smith, AR-OK

    OccupationMedian salary
    Construction Laborers$35,260
    First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$58,070
    Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$38,880
    Electricians$49,510
    Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$49,440
    Carpenters$38,580

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Fort Smith, AR-OK is $21.63, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $26.92 or more per hour.

    Is Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK is 14.4% 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 Fort Smith?

    Entry-level Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (10th percentile) earn around $37,980 per year in Fort Smith, AR-OK. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $39,780.