SOC 47-5022 · Lexington-Fayette, KY metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Lexington, KY

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Lexington, Kentucky is $56,720 a year ($27.27 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $57,640: half of the 70 people in this job in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

$56,720average per year

$27.27 / hourMedian $57,640Take-home ≈ $44,327

  • $37K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $58KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

70people in this job
-8%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 2Kentucky metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Lexington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $69,870 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Lexington earn between $44,580 and $60,990.

  • $37K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $58KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$56,720$4,727$27.27
Median$57,640$4,803$27.71
Entry level (25th percentile)$44,580$3,715$21.43
Experienced (75th percentile)$60,990$5,082$29.32

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

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

On the average salary of $56,720, a single filer in Lexington takes home about $44,327 a year, or $3,694 a month and $1,705 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 (2026 rules). Includes Lexington's local income tax (2.75%).

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

Prices in the Lexington area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.9), so the average $56,720 buys what about $61,062 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Lexington ($48,620). A typical home costs $327,671, or 5.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $56,720 is worth in another city

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

Lexington ranks 2nd of 2 Kentucky metro areas for this job; Louisville pays the most ($60,570).

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

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 Lexington: questions

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

$27.27 an hour on average, and $27.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,580, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $44,327 a year ($3,694 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $56,720. Includes Lexington's local income tax (2.75%).

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

The average here is 8% 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY (30460). 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). Includes Lexington's local income tax (2.75%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.08, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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