SOC 47-5022 · Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Augusta, GA

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Augusta, Georgia is $50,390 a year ($24.23 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,520: half of the 30 people in this job in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 18% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

$50,390average per year

$24.23 / hourMedian $49,520Take-home ≈ $40,902

  • $38K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $60K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

30people in this job
-18%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 5Georgia metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Augusta

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,940 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Augusta earn between $46,240 and $56,920.

  • $38K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $60K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$50,390$4,199$24.23
Median$49,520$4,127$23.81
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,240$3,853$22.23
Experienced (75th percentile)$56,920$4,743$27.37

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

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

On the average salary of $50,390, a single filer in Augusta takes home about $40,902 a year, or $3,409 a month and $1,573 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in SC$41,643$3,470
Working in GA$40,902$3,409

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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

Prices in the Augusta area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.9), so the average $50,390 buys what about $54,830 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Augusta ($45,990). A typical home costs $253,524, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $50,390 is worth in another city

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

Augusta ranks 4th of 5 Georgia metro areas for this job; Atlanta pays the most ($55,670).

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

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 Augusta: questions

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

$24.23 an hour on average, and $23.81 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,240, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $40,902 a year ($3,409 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,390.

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

The average here is 18% less 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 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (12260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.1%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).

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