SOC 47-5022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining — Prescott Valley
Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ · 1 metro areas compared
The median wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Prescott Valley, AZ is $67,260 per year, 17.1% above the national median of $57,430.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -0.4%
- Openings per year
- 3,100
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Prescott Valley, AZ is $67,260 per year, 17.1% above the national median of $57,430. Half of workers earn between $65,560 and $75,610. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $49,400 and the ninetieth at $78,950.
The area has 40 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.5 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Phoenix records the highest median at $64,580. Of the 260 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 74th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $49,400 | −14.0% |
| 25th | $65,560 | +14.2% |
| Median (50th) | $67,260 | +17.1% |
| 75th | $75,610 | +31.7% |
| 90th | $78,950 | +37.5% |
| Mean | $69,680 | +21.3% |
Other metro areas in Arizona
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | $64,580 | 240 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Prescott Valley sit close to the national average, so $67,260 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$67,260as reported by BLSLocal price level
98.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$68,423US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $67,260 a year, 17.1% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $49,400 to $78,950 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Phoenix, at $64,580.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining in Prescott Valley, AZ?
The median annual wage is $67,260, or $32.34 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 Prescott Valley, AZ is 17.1% higher. 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 Prescott Valley, AZ earns more than $78,950 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $49,400 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 Phoenix, at $64,580 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in Prescott Valley, AZ. 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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