Your work. Your records.
Surface Mining Equipment Workplace Records Guide
Surface mining equipment operators may receive digging instructions, inspect a machine and coordinate movements with ground personnel. A workplace concern about output or placement should identify your assigned machine and the directions available during that part of the shift.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Equipment handover
Note the machine condition reported to you and any concern you observed before starting work.
Instruction change
Record who changed the digging or loading assignment and when the revision reached you.
Signal context
Describe the type of direction used and any clarification requested without guessing another worker's intent.
Start with the work you actually do
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (47-5022.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.Source task 12777 · updated 07/2013
- Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.Source task 12778 · updated 07/2013
- Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.Source task 12780 · updated 07/2013
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.Source task 12779 · updated 07/2013
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (SOC 47-5022). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $19.31 | $22.97 | $25.17 | $47,770 |
| Alaska | $29.88 | $35.90 | $44.84 | $74,680 |
| Arizona | $25.74 | $29.00 | $36.61 | $60,310 |
| Arkansas | $19.29 | $22.20 | $23.36 | $46,170 |
| Connecticut | $28.94 | $31.59 | $38.35 | $65,710 |
| Delaware | $18.45 | $22.55 | $27.43 | $46,900 |
| Florida | $21.87 | $25.00 | $29.07 | $51,990 |
| Georgia | $23.02 | $24.18 | $27.73 | $50,290 |
| Idaho | $24.08 | $28.21 | $30.55 | $58,670 |
| Indiana | $27.21 | $29.77 | $33.68 | $61,910 |
| Iowa | $23.45 | $28.55 | $29.63 | $59,390 |
| Kansas | $22.28 | $23.53 | $27.03 | $48,950 |
| Kentucky | $19.45 | $22.97 | $27.73 | $47,780 |
| Louisiana | $18.99 | $25.73 | $27.99 | $53,510 |
| Maine | $23.68 | $26.87 | $30.77 | $55,890 |
| Michigan | $23.53 | $28.38 | $30.79 | $59,040 |
| Minnesota | $23.82 | $29.45 | $39.32 | $61,260 |
| Mississippi | $18.72 | $23.31 | $27.27 | $48,490 |
| Missouri | $23.88 | $27.29 | $28.55 | $56,760 |
| Montana | $25.21 | $31.66 | $39.17 | $65,850 |
| Nebraska | $23.24 | $28.06 | $29.65 | $58,370 |
| New Hampshire | $24.33 | $28.14 | $31.68 | $58,540 |
| New Mexico | $24.26 | $36.71 | $36.71 | $76,350 |
| New York | $23.00 | $27.94 | $34.14 | $58,120 |
| North Carolina | $23.73 | $28.18 | $29.07 | $58,620 |
| North Dakota | $28.81 | $43.45 | $57.73 | $90,380 |
| Ohio | $23.43 | $28.00 | $31.68 | $58,240 |
| Oklahoma | $22.35 | $22.64 | $26.92 | $47,100 |
| Pennsylvania | $23.56 | $25.17 | $27.92 | $52,350 |
| Rhode Island | $22.17 | $28.65 | $30.43 | $59,590 |
| South Dakota | $21.55 | $23.20 | $27.54 | $48,250 |
| Tennessee | $22.06 | $23.80 | $28.43 | $49,500 |
| Texas | $21.12 | $23.56 | $28.47 | $49,000 |
| Utah | $23.34 | $26.12 | $29.83 | $54,330 |
| Vermont | $23.03 | $28.75 | $31.09 | $59,790 |
| Virginia | $23.36 | $28.60 | $32.15 | $59,480 |
| West Virginia | $28.21 | $29.49 | $31.44 | $61,330 |
| Wisconsin | $24.70 | $28.02 | $30.07 | $58,280 |
| Wyoming | $33.66 | $37.61 | $38.40 | $78,230 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the assigned digging work
Record the general material, work area and machine role without exposing restricted site details. Note when the digging plan or destination changed and who directed it. Keep the original instruction separate from a revised movement sequence.
Trace inspection and signaling
Describe equipment concerns you observed before operation and the response to your report. If a movement was questioned, record the signal or marking you relied on and any uncertainty you raised. Distinguish your own observation from a later reconstruction by others.
Protect site and equipment information
Retain your own time entries and permitted employment messages. Do not remove mine plans, detailed location logs or security information. Identify the official inspection, dispatch or assignment record and custodian for an authorized reviewer.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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