A method for wear-optimized operation of an earth working machine, in particular a road milling machine, a surface miner, or the like, having settable machine parameters (18.1, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4) of a machine parameter set for controlling the machine, wherein the machine parameter set, as settable machine parameters, encompasses at least a milling depth and/or an advance rate and/or a milling drum rotation speed and/or an engine output and/or a torque, at least one target machine parameter (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4) being ascertained, as a function of at least one material property of the material to be removed, in order to establish wear-optimized operation, wherein the at least one target machine parameter (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4), or a derivation thereof, is indicated, in particular displayed, to an operator, preferably during the operating process, or is processed in a control unit acting on the earth working machine, in order to set or specify at least one settable machine parameter (18.1, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4) of the machine parameter set, namely the milling depth and/or the advance rate and/or the milling drum rotation speed and/or the engine output and/or the torque, wherein prior to the start of or during a working process of the earth working machine, the operator enters into the processing device the one material property of the material to be removed and one or more specified machine parameters (62.1, 62.2, 62.3, 62.4) and/or job parameters, which are taken into consideration in ascertaining the target machine parameter or parameters (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4) or the derivation of the target machine parameter or parameters (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4), wherein at least a calculation unit and a memory unit are associated with the processing device; the at least one material property, combined with at least one job parameter and/or with at least one specified machine parameter (62.1, 62.2, 62.3, 62.4), is stored in the memory unit; characteristics diagrams or functional correlations for ascertaining the at least one target machine parameter (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4) from the at least one material property and from the at least one job parameter and/or from the at least one specified machine parameter (62.1, 62.2, 62.3, 62.4) are stored in the memory unit, and the calculation unit determines the at least one target machine parameter (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4) with the aid of the characteristics diagrams or of the functional correlations. wherein the at least one target machine parameter (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4), or a derivation thereof, is indicated, in particular displayed, to an operator, preferably during the operating process, or is processed in a control unit acting on the earth working machine, in order to set or specify at least one settable machine parameter (18.1, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4) of the machine parameter set, namely the milling depth and/or the advance rate and/or the milling drum rotation speed and/or the engine output and/or the torque, wherein prior to the start of or during a working process of the earth working machine, the operator enters into the processing device the one material property of the material to be removed and one or more specified machine parameters (62.1, 62.2, 62.3, 62.4) and/or job parameters, which are taken into consideration in ascertaining the target machine parameter or parameters (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4) or the derivation of the target machine parameter or parameters (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4), wherein at least a calculation unit and a memory unit are associated with the processing device; the at least one material property, combined with at least one job parameter and/or with at least one specified machine parameter (62.1, 62.2, 62.3, 62.4), is stored in the memory unit; characteristics diagrams or functional correlations for ascertaining the at least one target machine parameter (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4) from the at least one material property and from the at least one job parameter and/or from the at least one specified machine parameter (62.1, 62.2, 62.3, 62.4) are stored in the memory unit, and the calculation unit determines the at least one target machine parameter (71.1, 71.2, 71.3, 71.4) with the aid of the characteristics diagrams or of the functional correlations.