SOC 47-5022 · Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Buffalo, NY

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Buffalo, New York is $61,480 a year ($29.56 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $56,800: half of the 100 people in this job in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

$61,480average per year

$29.56 / hourMedian $56,800Take-home ≈ $48,803

  • $41K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $57KMedian
  • $81K75th
  • $94K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

100people in this job
-0%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 8New York metros
96cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Buffalo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $93,520 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Buffalo earn between $44,550 and $80,830.

  • $41K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $57KMedian
  • $81K75th
  • $94K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$61,480$5,123$29.56
Median$56,800$4,733$27.31
Entry level (25th percentile)$44,550$3,712$21.42
Experienced (75th percentile)$80,830$6,736$38.86

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

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

On the average salary of $61,480, a single filer in Buffalo takes home about $48,803 a year, or $4,067 a month and $1,877 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

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

Prices in the Buffalo area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.8), so the average $61,480 buys what about $64,146 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Buffalo ($50,790). A typical home costs $288,316, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $61,480 is worth in another city

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

Buffalo ranks 2nd of 8 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($89,320).

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

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 Buffalo: questions

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

$29.56 an hour on average, and $27.31 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,550, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $48,803 a year ($4,067 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $61,480. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (15380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.5%.
  • 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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