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What is an Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator?
Job Description & Duties Operate or tend machinery equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets, to excavate and load loose materials.
What Do Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators Do On a Daily Basis?
- Handle slides, mud, or pit cleanings or maintenance.
- Drive machines to work sites.
- Adjust dig face angles for varying overburden depths and set lengths.
- Measure and verify levels of rock or gravel, bases, or other excavated material.
- Perform manual labor to prepare or finish sites, such as shoveling materials by hand.
- Create or maintain inclines or ramps.
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Skills Needed to be an Excavating & Loading Machine & Dragline Operator
When polled, Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Other Excavating & Loading Machine & Dragline Operator Job Titles
- Trencher Driver
- Excavator
- Power Shovel Operator
- Dragline Operator
- Back Digger Operator
Excavating & Loading Machine & Dragline Operator Job Outlook
There were about 50,600 jobs for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,100 new jobs for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 6,100 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Excavating & Loading Machine & Dragline Operator are Utah, Texas, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, Maine, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Excavating & Loading Machine & Dragline Operator Average Salary
The typical yearly salary for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators is somewhere between $29,580 and $74,460.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators who work in Wyoming, Alaska, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $41,620 |
| Alaska | $73,380 |
| Arizona | $48,340 |
| Arkansas | $50,540 |
| California | $65,510 |
| Colorado | $53,310 |
| Connecticut | $61,480 |
| Delaware | $50,000 |
| District of Columbia | $51,710 |
| Florida | $39,720 |
| Georgia | $40,020 |
| Hawaii | $56,090 |
| Idaho | $44,000 |
| Illinois | $50,970 |
| Indiana | $44,830 |
| Iowa | $44,740 |
| Kansas | $48,120 |
| Kentucky | $42,340 |
| Louisiana | $44,290 |
| Maine | $43,070 |
| Maryland | $50,910 |
| Massachusetts | $59,990 |
| Michigan | $46,830 |
| Minnesota | $55,870 |
| Mississippi | $40,960 |
| Missouri | $51,130 |
| Montana | $47,920 |
| Nebraska | $40,950 |
| Nevada | $62,390 |
| New Hampshire | $44,590 |
| New Jersey | $71,690 |
| New Mexico | $45,190 |
| New York | $72,400 |
| North Carolina | $41,940 |
| North Dakota | $62,300 |
| Ohio | $42,330 |
| Oklahoma | $44,060 |
| Oregon | $48,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,800 |
| Rhode Island | $52,480 |
| South Carolina | $49,240 |
| South Dakota | $40,220 |
| Tennessee | $39,740 |
| Texas | $39,500 |
| Utah | $47,180 |
| Vermont | $41,290 |
| Virginia | $42,710 |
| Washington | $53,930 |
| West Virginia | $49,550 |
| Wisconsin | $54,020 |
| Wyoming | $71,730 |
What Tools & Technology do Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- Google Gmail
How do I Become an Excavating & Loading Machine & Dragline Operator?
Education needed to be an Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator:
How Long Does it Take to Become an Excavating & Loading Machine & Dragline Operator?
Similar Careers
Those who work as an Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
- Helpers–Extraction Workers
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Roof Bolters, Mining
- Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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