SOC 47-5022 · Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Bakersfield, CA

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Bakersfield, California is $74,430 a year ($35.79 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $65,260: half of the 40 people in this job in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 21% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

$74,430average per year

$35.79 / hourMedian $65,260Take-home ≈ $58,310

  • $50K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $90K75th
  • $140K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
+21%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 7California metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Bakersfield

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,800 a year or less, while the top 10% make $139,630 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Bakersfield earn between $49,810 and $90,070.

  • $50K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $90K75th
  • $140K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$74,430$6,202$35.78
Median$65,260$5,438$31.38
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,810$4,151$23.95
Experienced (75th percentile)$90,070$7,506$43.30

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary after taxes in Bakersfield

On the average salary of $74,430, a single filer in Bakersfield takes home about $58,310 a year, or $4,859 a month and $2,243 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Bakersfield a good place for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Bakersfield area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.9), so the average $74,430 buys what about $73,776 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Bakersfield ($47,470). A typical home costs $364,264, or 4.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $74,430 is worth in another city

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary in other California cities

Bakersfield ranks 5th of 7 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($110,990).

All Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($110,990).

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary by city

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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary in Bakersfield: questions

How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining make an hour in Bakersfield?

$35.79 an hour on average, and $31.37 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary in Bakersfield?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,800 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,810, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining take-home pay in Bakersfield?

About $58,310 a year ($4,859 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,430. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining earn more in Bakersfield than elsewhere?

The average here is 21% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-5022; area Bakersfield-Delano, CA (12540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 10.5%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.60, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.60).

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