SOC 47-5022 · Richmond, VA metro

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining Salary in Richmond, VA

The average salary for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Richmond, Virginia is $55,700 a year ($26.78 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $58,710: half of the 140 people in this job in the Richmond, VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($61,487).

$55,700average per year

$26.78 / hourMedian $58,710Take-home ≈ $44,546

  • $27K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $69K75th
  • $77K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

140people in this job
-9%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 3Virginia metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining pay range in Richmond

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,240 a year or less, while the top 10% make $77,070 or more. The middle half of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining in Richmond earn between $47,380 and $68,770.

  • $27K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $69K75th
  • $77K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$55,700$4,642$26.78
Median$58,710$4,892$28.23
Entry level (25th percentile)$47,380$3,948$22.78
Experienced (75th percentile)$68,770$5,731$33.06

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

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

On the average salary of $55,700, a single filer in Richmond takes home about $44,546 a year, or $3,712 a month and $1,713 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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

Prices in the Richmond area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $55,700 buys what about $56,919 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Richmond ($51,460). A typical home costs $397,705, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $55,700 is worth in another city

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

Richmond ranks 1st of 3 Virginia metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

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

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 Richmond: questions

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

$26.78 an hour on average, and $28.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,240 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,380, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $44,546 a year ($3,712 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $55,700.

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

The average here is 9% 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 Richmond, VA (40060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.9%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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