Excavator operator vs dragline operator

The differences between excavator operators and dragline operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an excavator operator and a dragline operator. Additionally, an excavator operator has an average salary of $46,102, which is higher than the $38,382 average annual salary of a dragline operator.

The top three skills for an excavator operator include CDL, OSHA and backhoe. The most important skills for a dragline operator are MSHA, loaders, and .

Excavator operator vs dragline operator overview

	Excavator Operator	Dragline Operator
Yearly salary	$46,102	$38,382
Hourly rate	$22.16	$18.45
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	36,584	30,148
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 60%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Excavator operator vs dragline operator salary

Excavator operators and dragline operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Excavator Operator	Dragline Operator
Average salary	$46,102	$38,382
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $62,000	Between $26,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Roto	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between excavator operator and dragline operator education

There are a few differences between an excavator operator and a dragline operator in terms of educational background:

	Excavator Operator	Dragline Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 60%
Most common major	Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies	Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies
Most common college	-	-

Excavator operator vs dragline operator demographics

Here are the differences between excavator operators' and dragline operators' demographics:

	Excavator Operator	Dragline Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9%	Male, 98.4% Female, 1.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between excavator operator and dragline operator duties and responsibilities

Excavator operator example responsibilities.

Experience in operating heavy equipment including excavators, front end loaders, skid loaders, tractors, etc.
Obtain CDL with Hazmat and tanker endorsements.
Create safe slopes and proper barricading during excavations.
Locate under grind utilitys via blue print GPS mapdata.
Position is a laborer working on the mowing crew.
Dig safe bell holes that meet osha standards and company policy standards

Dragline operator example responsibilities.

wheel loaders, dozers and dragling, also complete tasks in welding and working on kenworth dump trucks.
Have ran draglines, trackhoes, backhoes, dozers, versahandlers, crains, and directional bore drilling equipment.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Load and unload merchandise from trucksDaily equipment checksDispose of waste following DHEC regulations

Excavator operator vs dragline operator skills

Common excavator operator skills

CDL, 12%
OSHA, 10%
Backhoe, 9%
Manual Labor, 8%
Asphalt, 6%
Plumbing, 6%

Common dragline operator skills

MSHA, 55%
Loaders, 45%

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Excavator Operator
Excavator Operator vs Dragline Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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