Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining vs Sheet Metal Workers: $57K vs $62K Median Pay

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining vs Sheet Metal Workers: what changes?

Consider Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining if you want to operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials. Consider Sheet Metal Workers if you would rather fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining and Sheet Metal Workers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

National median pay (2025): $57,430
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,400

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining brief

Sheet Metal Workers

National median pay (2025): $61,800
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate: Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 9,800

Know before you choose

The usual entry route includes an apprenticeship. Interest in the subject is not a substitute for supervised, paid training.

See the full Sheet Metal Workers brief

How the national numbers differ

Sheet Metal Workers has the edge on annual openings

Sheet Metal Workers is at 9,800 annual openings, compared with 2,400 annual openings for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining.

Sheet Metal Workers has the edge on projected growth

Sheet Metal Workers is at 2.5% projected growth, compared with 1% projected growth for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining.

Sheet Metal Workers has the edge on median pay

Sheet Metal Workers is at $61,800, compared with $57,430 for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining.

44.1/ 100

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

58.1/ 100

Sheet Metal Workers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining vs Sheet Metal Workers

Dimension	Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining	Sheet Metal Workers
Median pay (2025)	$57,430	$61,800
Pay percentile	42.6 percentile	51 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	1%	2.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,400	9,800
2025 employment	34,700	131,100
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining brief Read Sheet Metal Workers brief

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining vs Sheet Metal Workers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

Sheet Metal Workers

How the national numbers differ

Sheet Metal Workers has the edge on annual openings

Sheet Metal Workers has the edge on projected growth

Sheet Metal Workers has the edge on median pay

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining vs Sheet Metal Workers

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