Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,560 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,360 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Chicago earn between $63,970 and $93,290.
- $47K10th
- $64K25th
- $87KMedian
- $93K75th
- $99K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $80,260 | $6,688 | $38.59 |
| Median | $87,060 | $7,255 | $41.86 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $63,970 | $5,331 | $30.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $93,290 | $7,774 | $44.85 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $80,260, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $61,461 a year, or $5,122 a month and $2,364 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $62,915 | $5,243 |
| Working in IL | $61,461 | $5,122 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $80,260 buys what about $77,475 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining salary in nearby metro areas
- Milwaukee, WI$60,020
- Lafayette, IN$64,530
- Madison, WI$60,840
- Grand Rapids, MI$64,830
- Davenport, IA$63,260
- Fond du Lac, WI$55,570
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).
- San Francisco, CA$110,990
- Sacramento, CA$106,120
- Fresno, CA$94,980
- San Jose, CA$92,240
- New York, NY$89,320
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 Chicago: questions
How much do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining make an hour in Chicago?
$38.59 an hour on average, and $41.85 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,560 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,970, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining take-home pay in Chicago?
About $61,461 a year ($5,122 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $80,260.
Do excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 31% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.57, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.57).
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