Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $57,430 Median per year · $27.61/hr Most earn $41,600–$82,400

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Adjust dig face angles for varying overburden depths and set lengths.
  • Drive machines to work sites.
  • Perform manual labor to prepare or finish sites, such as shoveling materials by hand.
  • Create or maintain inclines or ramps.
  • Direct ground workers engaged in activities such as moving stakes or markers, or changing positions of towers.
  • Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 2,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying48.9%
  • Other specialty trade contractors10.3%
  • Coal mining9.2%
  • Highway, street, and bridge construction3.6%
  • Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing2.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This is a good entry-level career: most people need a high school diploma and then about 6 months to 1 year of related work before they run the machines on their own. You don't need a college degree to start.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong math, shop, and mechanical classes, since you'll read gauges, follow safety rules, and work with heavy equipment.

  2. Construction Laborer

    6 months to 1 year

    Work on a crew at a mine or job site doing ground work, signaling, and cleanup while you learn how the equipment is run and how the site is organized.

  3. Excavating and Loading Machine Operator, Surface Mining

    Ongoing

    Operate shovels, loaders, scrapers, or draglines to dig and load rock, coal, or other materials at a surface mine, following site safety and production rules.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Equipment Operator

    3-5 years of experience first

    Move from running one machine to coaching newer operators, checking equipment before each shift, and helping plan daily digging work.

  2. Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic

    1-2 years of apprenticeship or training after operating experience of experience first

    Use your knowledge of how the machines work to learn repair and maintenance, which requires a certificate or apprenticeship and hands-on training.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, auto, or mechanics classesHands-on mechanical skills help you understand how heavy machines work and how to keep them running safely.
  • Take math classes, especially geometry and algebraOperators often estimate loads, slopes, and distances, so comfort with numbers helps on the job.
  • Get a summer or part-time job at a construction site, quarry, or farmAny job around heavy equipment and outdoor work shows employers you can handle physical work and follow safety rules.
  • Talk to a school counselor or career center about local mining and construction jobsThey can tell you which local employers hire young workers and what entry-level paths exist near you.
  • Learn basic workplace safety and first aidMany mining and construction employers value these skills, and they show you take safety seriously.

In college

  • Take courses in equipment operation, heavy machinery, or mining technology if your school offers themShort technical courses can give you a head start on the skills employers look for in equipment operators.
  • Work a part-time or summer job on a construction or mining siteHands-on experience around heavy equipment counts toward the on-the-job time most employers expect.
  • Earn safety certifications, such as first aid or site safety trainingCertifications are often required or preferred on mine and construction sites and make your application stronger.
  • Join a trade or engineering club, or a skills club at your schoolClubs build teamwork and practical skills and can connect you with people working in the industry.
  • Ask about apprenticeships or training programs at a local technical schoolIf you want to move toward equipment repair later, starting early helps you see what the training requires.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask your school counselor or a local employer whether mines, quarries, or construction companies offer summer or part-time jobs for students, and take any entry-level job that gets you on a site.
  • Learn basic safety certifications that most job sites use, such as first aid or site safety training, and list them on any job application.
  • Get comfortable with reading simple diagrams and maps, because operators often follow digging plans and site layouts.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Ground Transportation Certificate: typical pay 1 year after finishing $48,327 a year · typical debt $6,365

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers