SOC 47-5022 · McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in McAllen, TX

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in McAllen, Texas is $44,010 a year ($21.16 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,980: half of the 50 people in this job in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 28% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

$44,010average per year

$21.16 / hourMedian $43,980Take-home ≈ $37,542

  • $34K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $57K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

50people in this job
-28%vs U.S. metro average
#9 of 10Texas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in McAllen

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,680 a year or less, while the top 10% make $57,110 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in McAllen earn between $39,480 and $46,140.

  • $34K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $57K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$44,010$3,668$21.16
Median$43,980$3,665$21.14
Entry level (25th percentile)$39,480$3,290$18.98
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,140$3,845$22.18

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

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

On the average salary of $44,010, a single filer in McAllen takes home about $37,542 a year, or $3,129 a month and $1,444 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

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

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

Prices in the McAllen area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $44,010 buys what about $51,237 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in McAllen ($35,830). A typical home costs $193,978, or 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $44,010 is worth in another city

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

McAllen ranks 9th of 10 Texas metro areas for this job; College Station pays the most ($64,620).

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

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 McAllen: questions

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

$21.16 an hour on average, and $21.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,680 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,480, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $37,542 a year ($3,129 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,010. Texas has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 28% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (32580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
  • 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 0.80, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.80).

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