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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

Job Data

  • Typical education: High School Diploma

Salary Range

  • New York State: $38,310-$73,100 per year
  • Capital Region: $40,000-$61,150 per year
  • Central New York: $38,950-$69,930 per year
  • Finger Lakes: $36,530-$58,840 per year
  • Hudson Valley: $44,030-$87,170 per year
  • Long Island: $45,600-$83,330 per year
  • Mohawk Valley: $36,180-$53,390 per year
  • New York City:
  • North Country: $36,110-$50,230 per year
  • Southern Tier: $36,720-$61,050 per year
  • Western New York: $34,450-$58,540 per year

Typical Tasks

  1. More levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
  2. Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.
  3. Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and with efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.
  4. Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
  5. Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, making winter roads.