SOC 47-5022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining — Lubbock
Lubbock, TX · 9 metro areas compared
The median wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Lubbock, TX is $41,110 per year, substantially below the national median of $57,430 — a gap of 28.4%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Lubbock, TX is $41,110 per year, substantially below the national median of $57,430 — a gap of 28.4%. Pay ranges from under $36,510 at the tenth percentile to more than $48,210 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $39,440 to $45,400.
Employment stands at 60, or 0.4 jobs per thousand held locally. College Station leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $75,440. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 273rd of 398 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,510 | −36.4% |
| 25th | $39,440 | −31.3% |
| Median (50th) | $41,110 | −28.4% |
| 75th | $45,400 | −20.9% |
| 90th | $48,210 | −16.1% |
| Mean | $43,440 | −24.4% |
Other metro areas in Texas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College Station | $75,440 | 60 | |
| 2 | Dallas | $51,780 | 990 | |
| 3 | Austin | $51,420 | 520 | |
| 4 | Odessa | $50,230 | 40 | |
| 5 | Houston | $49,920 | 890 | |
| 6 | Midland | $49,070 | 150 | |
| 7 | San Antonio | $47,970 | 540 | |
| 8 | El Paso | $46,110 | 90 | |
| 9 | McAllen | $43,980 | 50 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Lubbock run 2.9% below the national average, so the median of $41,110 goes as far as $42,338 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 26.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$41,110as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$42,338US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $41,110 a year, 28.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,510 to $48,210 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 60 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is College Station, at $75,440.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Lubbock, TX?
The median annual wage is $41,110, or $19.77 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $57,430, so pay in Lubbock, TX is 28.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Lubbock, TX earns more than $48,210 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,510 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in College Station, at $75,440 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 60 jobs in this occupation in Lubbock, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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