Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Construction and Extraction
Works the controls of power shovels, scraper loaders, backhoes, and similar machines, using levers, pedals, and dials to excavate and load loose material. Before digging, inspects the machine and studies the plan, then follows hand signals, grade stakes, and written or spoken instructions so the work matches the markings. The same equipment may backfill holes, break rock or concrete, build winter roads, or form ramps and inclines, and sometimes moves material a short distance around a construction site, factory, or warehouse. Suits people who like operating heavy machinery with close attention to signals, grades, and the machine's limits.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$57'430
Median Wage Market Position
$57'430
What you might do
- Operate power shovels to dig and load
- Follow grade stakes and hand signals
- Inspect machines before starting work
- Study the digging plan and machine limits
- Backfill holes or break rock and concrete
- Build and keep ramps and inclines
Skills that matter
- Levers, pedals, and dials on loaders
- Digging plans read before you start
- Grade stakes and hand signals followed
- Machine limits judged on each cut
- Shovels and scrapers inspected before use
- Spoken instructions on what to excavate
AI & the future of this role
Surface loading already leans on machine control, so guidance systems and remote operation could take on more routine digging cycles. Unstable ground, load planning, and coordination with crews on site still tend to keep skilled operators in the loop.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details