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Boston Career Explorer

Construction and Extraction

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.

Also called: Backhoe Operator, Dragline Oiler, Dragline Operator, Equipment Operator, Excavator Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$76,110
$36.59/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
180
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+4.0%
20 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training; Less than 5 years of related work experience

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$57,540$61,850$76,110$79,970$96,160

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure7 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 12
  • Language-model AIOE 5
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 3

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. The work centers on running heavy machines by hand and eye, reading signals and grade stakes, and inspecting equipment. AI tools may help with planning and equipment checks, but they do not replace a skilled operator on the ground.

Likely to change

  • Reviewing digging plans and site information
  • Tracking equipment checks and maintenance

Still relies on people

  • Operating shovels and backhoes safely
  • Following hand signals and grade stakes

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Structural Iron and Steel Workers

    Pay difference
    +$44,730 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Brickmasons and Blockmasons

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    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Glaziers

    Pay difference
    +$31,500 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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