SOC 47-5022 · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Denver, CO

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Denver, Colorado is $68,070 a year ($32.73 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $65,370: half of the 120 people in this job in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

$68,070average per year

$32.73 / hourMedian $65,370Take-home ≈ $54,431

  • $50K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $79K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

120people in this job
+11%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 4Colorado metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Denver

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,680 a year or less, while the top 10% make $79,390 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Denver earn between $60,690 and $79,390.

  • $50K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $79K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$68,070$5,672$32.73
Median$65,370$5,448$31.43
Entry level (25th percentile)$60,690$5,058$29.18
Experienced (75th percentile)$79,390$6,616$38.17

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

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

On the average salary of $68,070, a single filer in Denver takes home about $54,431 a year, or $4,536 a month and $2,093 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

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

Prices in the Denver area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.8), so the average $68,070 buys what about $64,349 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Denver ($62,320). A typical home costs $573,221, or 8.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $68,070 is worth in another city

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

Denver ranks 2nd of 4 Colorado metro areas for this job; Colorado Springs pays the most ($70,780).

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

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 Denver: questions

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

$32.73 an hour on average, and $31.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,680 a year and the 25th percentile is $60,690, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $54,431 a year ($4,536 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $68,070. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

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

The average here is 11% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (19740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
  • 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 (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.34, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.34).

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