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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
Other titles employers use
Backhoe Operator · Dragline Oiler · Dragline Operator · Equipment Operator · Excavator Operator · Heavy Equipment Operator · Loader Operator · Pit Operator
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
- Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.
- Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
- Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads.
- Receive written or oral instructions regarding material movement or excavation.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
Useful strengths
- Control Precision
- Multilimb Coordination
- Depth Perception
- Manual Dexterity
- Reaction Time
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.6 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.5 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.5 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.7 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 94%
- A certificate or some college 6%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
- Industrial control software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 6,970
- Job openings each year
- 730
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 9.6%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 6,970 | 730 | 9.6% |
| Florida | 2,160 | 220 | 6.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,800 | 180 | −1.1% |
| Utah | 1,530 | 170 | 29.7% |
| Georgia | 1,340 | 130 | −7.6% |
| New York | 1,190 | 0 | −11.2% |
| Minnesota | 870 | 90 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 850 | 80 | −7.6% |
| Michigan | 800 | 80 | −12.1% |
| Virginia | 790 | 60 | −35.8% |
| Indiana | 730 | 70 | −8.8% |
| New Jersey | 710 | 70 | 4.4% |
| Wisconsin | 700 | 70 | 12.9% |
| Colorado | 650 | 60 | −16.7% |
| North Carolina | 640 | 70 | 3.2% |
| Arizona | 620 | 60 | 6.9% |
| Maryland | 620 | 60 | 1.6% |
| Nevada | 620 | 70 | 34.8% |
| Iowa | 610 | 60 | 1.7% |
| Louisiana | 610 | 60 | 7.0% |
| Illinois | 600 | 60 | −3.2% |
| Tennessee | 600 | 60 | 13.2% |
| Oregon | 580 | 60 | 7.4% |
| Nebraska | 570 | 60 | 5.6% |
| Kentucky | 530 | 50 | −3.6% |
| South Carolina | 510 | 50 | 13.3% |
| Alabama | 500 | 50 | 2.0% |
| Arkansas | 480 | 50 | — |
| South Dakota | 430 | 40 | 7.5% |
| Missouri | 410 | 40 | — |
| Wyoming | 400 | 40 | −4.8% |
| New Mexico | 370 | 40 | — |
| North Dakota | 370 | 40 | 8.8% |
| Idaho | 310 | 30 | 19.2% |
| West Virginia | 280 | 30 | −9.7% |
| Mississippi | 240 | 20 | 4.3% |
| Oklahoma | 240 | 20 | — |
| Maine | 220 | 20 | −8.3% |
| Vermont | 190 | 20 | — |
| Alaska | 170 | 20 | 13.3% |
| Rhode Island | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Delaware | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Connecticut | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Kansas | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Montana | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Massachusetts | 80 | 10 | — |
| Puerto Rico | 80 | 10 | — |
| District of Columbia | 50 | 10 | — |
| New Hampshire | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.