SOC 47-5022 · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro

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

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Louisville, Kentucky is $60,570 a year ($29.12 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $61,140: half of the 240 people in this job in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($59,930).

$60,570average per year

$29.12 / hourMedian $61,140Take-home ≈ $47,513

  • $40K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $88K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

240people in this job
+1%vs U.S. average
#1 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 Louisville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $87,940 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Louisville earn between $44,450 and $71,460.

  • $40K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $88K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$60,570$5,048$29.12
Median$61,140$5,095$29.39
Entry level (25th percentile)$44,450$3,704$21.37
Experienced (75th percentile)$71,460$5,955$34.36

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

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay in Louisville vs. Kentucky and the U.S.

Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Louisville earn 16% more than the Kentucky average ($52,300) and about the same as the U.S. average ($59,930). At the median the gap is +6% against the U.S. median of $57,430.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Louisville$60,570$61,140$40,200$87,940240
Kentucky$52,300$47,780$37,210$68,390790
United States$59,930$57,430$41,600$82,40034,480

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

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

On the average salary of $60,570, a single filer in Louisville takes home about $47,513 a year, or $3,959 a month and $1,827 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

The Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$49,061$4,088
Working in KY$47,513$3,959

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).

Kentucky paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Louisville area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.1), so the average $60,570 buys what about $65,077 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Louisville ($48,370). A typical home costs $283,232, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $60,570 is worth in another city

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

Louisville ranks 1st of 2 Kentucky metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

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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Reviewed before it counts. Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Louisville, KY.

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

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

$29.12 an hour on average, and $29.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,450, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $47,513 a year ($3,959 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $60,570. Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).

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

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($59,930).

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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (31140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.56, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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