SOC 47-5022 · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Kingsport, TN

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Kingsport, Tennessee is $51,110 a year ($24.57 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,430: half of the 40 people in this job in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,930).

$51,110average per year

$24.57 / hourMedian $49,430Take-home ≈ $43,247

  • $39K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $60K90th

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

40people in this job
-15%vs U.S. average
#3 of 3Tennessee metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Kingsport

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,630 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,390 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Kingsport earn between $45,130 and $57,540.

  • $39K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $60K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$51,110$4,259$24.57
Median$49,430$4,119$23.76
Entry level (25th percentile)$45,130$3,761$21.70
Experienced (75th percentile)$57,540$4,795$27.66

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

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

Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Kingsport earn 6% less than the Tennessee average ($54,260) and 15% less than the U.S. average ($59,930). At the median the gap is -14% against the U.S. median of $57,430.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Kingsport$51,110$49,430$38,630$60,39040
Tennessee$54,260$49,500$40,800$76,000550
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 Kingsport

On the average salary of $51,110, a single filer in Kingsport takes home about $43,247 a year, or $3,604 a month and $1,663 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

The Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$43,247$3,604
Working in VA$41,122$3,427

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Kingsport area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.4), so the average $51,110 buys what about $59,123 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Kingsport ($45,240). A typical home costs $246,242, or 4.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $51,110 is worth in another city

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

Kingsport ranks 3rd of 3 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($60,040).

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

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 Kingsport: questions

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

$24.57 an hour on average, and $23.76 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,630 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,130, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $43,247 a year ($3,604 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,110. Tennessee has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 15% less than 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (28700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.43, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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