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Operate or tend machinery equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets, to excavate and load loose materials. Excludes "Dredge Operators" (53-7031).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48,320 | 2.5 % | $21.74 | $45,230 | 0.9 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $13.09 | $16.10 | $19.72 | $25.72 | $33.31 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $27,220 | $33,500 | $41,030 | $53,490 | $69,280 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 10,350 | 1.61 | $21.64 | $45,020 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 7,650 | 8.16 | $20.16 | $41,930 |
| Utility System Construction | 4,820 | 0.98 | $22.23 | $46,240 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 3,860 | 1.18 | $20.82 | $43,310 |
| Coal Mining | 3,150 | 5.89 | $25.85 | $53,770 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 7,650 | 8.16 | $20.16 | $41,930 |
| Coal Mining | 3,150 | 5.89 | $25.85 | $53,770 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 10,350 | 1.61 | $21.64 | $45,020 |
| Waste Treatment and Disposal | 1,420 | 1.50 | $19.51 | $40,570 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 3,860 | 1.18 | $20.82 | $43,310 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 1,220 | 1.10 | $30.74 | $63,930 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 310 | 0.08 | $26.80 | $55,740 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 300 | 0.04 | $26.46 | $55,030 |
| Rail Transportation | 100 | 0.05 | $25.95 | $53,980 |
| Coal Mining | 3,150 | 5.89 | $25.85 | $53,770 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 7,500 | 0.64 | 1.86 | $17.34 | $36,070 |
| Florida | 2,820 | 0.34 | 1.00 | $18.34 | $38,150 |
| California | 2,380 | 0.15 | 0.43 | $30.46 | $63,360 |
| Tennessee | 1,930 | 0.67 | 1.94 | $16.99 | $35,330 |
| North Carolina | 1,560 | 0.37 | 1.07 | $18.24 | $37,940 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 920 | 3.33 | 9.67 | $32.89 | $68,410 |
| West Virginia | 1,090 | 1.57 | 4.56 | $20.83 | $43,340 |
| North Dakota | 500 | 1.17 | 3.40 | $30.23 | $62,880 |
| Maine | 630 | 1.05 | 3.05 | $19.34 | $40,230 |
| South Dakota | 370 | 0.89 | 2.58 | $18.39 | $38,260 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 920 | 3.33 | 9.67 | $32.89 | $68,410 |
| California | 2,380 | 0.15 | 0.43 | $30.46 | $63,360 |
| North Dakota | 500 | 1.17 | 3.40 | $30.23 | $62,880 |
| Washington | 720 | 0.24 | 0.69 | $30.18 | $62,770 |
| New York | 1,540 | 0.17 | 0.49 | $29.98 | $62,360 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,540 | 0.53 | 1.53 | $17.13 | $35,640 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 1,370 | 0.56 | 1.64 | $15.55 | $32,340 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 880 | 0.13 | 0.39 | $32.88 | $68,380 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 820 | 0.61 | 1.77 | $24.14 | $50,210 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 790 | 0.32 | 0.93 | $22.74 | $47,300 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 670 | 0.26 | 0.77 | $18.73 | $38,950 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 610 | 0.32 | 0.92 | $26.84 | $55,820 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 560 | 0.57 | 1.65 | $17.09 | $35,540 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 520 | 0.54 | 1.56 | $17.01 | $35,380 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 490 | 0.97 | 2.83 | $22.68 | $47,170 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beckley, WV | 180 | 4.15 | 12.05 | $20.74 | $43,140 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 160 | 1.94 | 5.64 | $28.05 | $58,340 |
| Victoria, TX | 80 | 1.91 | 5.56 | $17.65 | $36,720 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 370 | 1.73 | 5.01 | $25.56 | $53,170 |
| New Bedford, MA | 110 | 1.68 | 4.89 | (8) | (8) |
| Fond du Lac, WI | 80 | 1.65 | 4.80 | $24.00 | $49,920 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 310 | 1.45 | 4.22 | $21.04 | $43,760 |
| Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, MA NECTA Division | 60 | 1.37 | 3.98 | $21.03 | $43,740 |
| Charleston, WV | 150 | 1.36 | 3.95 | $22.15 | $46,070 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 60 | 1.35 | 3.92 | $18.89 | $39,290 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 310 | 0.17 | 0.50 | $42.86 | $89,140 |
| Modesto, CA | 70 | 0.39 | 1.13 | $38.57 | $80,220 |
| Gary, IN Metropolitan Division | 130 | 0.48 | 1.39 | $38.53 | $80,150 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $37.79 | $78,610 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 150 | 0.09 | 0.27 | $35.35 | $73,530 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 110 | 0.11 | 0.32 | $34.03 | $70,790 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | 180 | 0.19 | 0.57 | $33.86 | $70,430 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 110 | 0.10 | 0.29 | $33.83 | $70,370 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $33.06 | $68,770 |
| Redding, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $32.88 | $68,400 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 12.31 | 35.76 | $33.89 | $70,490 |
| North Texas nonmetropolitan area | 570 | 2.16 | 6.27 | $20.02 | $41,640 |
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 360 | 4.71 | 13.69 | $18.91 | $39,330 |
| West Texas nonmetropolitan area | 320 | 1.67 | 4.85 | $18.21 | $37,870 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 260 | 1.37 | 3.98 | $19.04 | $39,600 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 12.31 | 35.76 | $33.89 | $70,490 |
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 360 | 4.71 | 13.69 | $18.91 | $39,330 |
| Garrett County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 4.00 | 11.62 | $20.47 | $42,580 |
| Southwest Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 220 | 3.57 | 10.38 | $31.61 | $65,740 |
| Far West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 2.49 | 7.22 | $32.66 | $67,930 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 1.43 | 4.16 | $39.55 | $82,270 |
| Northeast Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 12.31 | 35.76 | $33.89 | $70,490 |
| Far West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 2.49 | 7.22 | $32.66 | $67,930 |
| Southwest Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 220 | 3.57 | 10.38 | $31.61 | $65,740 |
| Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.45 | 4.21 | $29.74 | $61,850 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017