Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Lafayette, IN

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

Median annual salary $65,290 +24.2% vs national
Median hourly $31.39
10th percentile $48,080
90th percentile $87,590
Employed locally 30
National median $52,550

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

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

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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
in
Lafayette, IN
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $48,080
    25th
    $51,740
    50th (median)
    $65,290
    75th
    $67,980
    90th
    $87,590

    Lafayette economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.70% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $59,895 2023 • Census ACS
    Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary vs area income 109% Median Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary is 9% above 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
    Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH $84,640
    Farmington, NM $83,610
    Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $79,830
    Minnesota $79,060
    Vineland, NJ $78,260
    Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area $77,830

    Related occupations in Lafayette, IN

    OccupationMedian salary
    Electricians $76,980
    Construction Laborers $50,330
    First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $81,240
    Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $79,780
    Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $60,280
    Carpenters $59,420

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Lafayette, IN is $31.39, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $42.11 or more per hour.

    Is Lafayette 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 Lafayette, IN is 24.2% above 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 Lafayette?

    Entry-level Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (10th percentile) earn around $48,080 per year in Lafayette, IN. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $51,740.