That includes people who don't work at all and people who only work part-time. When looking at a full-time job, it would be better to compare only to other full

That includes people who don't work at all and people who only work part-time. When looking at a full-time job, it would be better to compare only to other full-time workers. Last quarter the median weekly wage for full-time workers was $873[1]. That's a bit over $45k/year. I would not consider 20-30% above average particularly high-paying for a job that is difficult and physically dangerous. [1] https://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.t01.htm https://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.t01.htm