Helpers--Extraction Workers
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 47-5081.00United States
Help extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying equipment or cleaning work area.
- Median annual earnings
- $47,920
- Projected change
- −0%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 7.83K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
96.6% of the workforce
Growing to 7.82K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What helpers--extraction workers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Observe and monitor equipment operation during the extraction process to detect any problems.
- Drive moving equipment to transport materials and parts to excavation sites.
- Unload materials, devices, and machine parts, using hand tools.
- Set up and adjust equipment used to excavate geological materials.
- Repair and maintain automotive and drilling equipment, using hand tools.
- Organize materials to prepare for use.
- Clean up work areas and remove debris after extraction activities are complete.
- Clean and prepare sites for excavation or boring.
- Load materials into well holes or into equipment, using hand tools.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $35,695
- 25th percentile
- $40,345
- 50th percentile
- $47,920
- 75th percentile
- $58,577
- 90th percentile
- $69,701
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $47,920 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−0%projected to decline
20257,826 jobs
2035 projected7,824 jobs
2 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 96.6%
- Certificate
- 1.7%
- Associate degree
- 1.7%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Underground Miners296 postings
- 02Operators189 postings
- 03Locators147 postings
- 04Equipment Operators142 postings
- 05Underground Utility Locators123 postings
- 06Underground Coal Miners95 postings
- 07Coal Miners79 postings
- 08Workers' Compensation Examiners59 postings
- 09Underground Electricians56 postings
- 10Utility Workers55 postings
- 11Mobile Equipment Operators54 postings
- 12Laborers47 postings
- 13Haul Truck Operators43 postings
- 14Miners36 postings
- 15Cash Operations Managers34 postings
- 16Elevator Operators34 postings
- 17Utility Operators34 postings
- 18Utility Locators33 postings
- 19Agronomy Operations Managers25 postings
- 20Line Operators22 postings
Top employers
- 01Dycom Company81 postings
- 02Jennmar Services76 postings
- 03M. A. Mortenson Company71 postings
- 04Barminco Mining Services USA60 postings
- 05Vannguard Utility Partners59 postings
- 06Freeport-McMoRan56 postings
- 07UtiliQuest54 postings
- 08Gms Mine Repair & Maintenance43 postings
- 09Alsco42 postings
- 10Ledcor Construction39 postings
- 11Npl Construction Co.32 postings
- 12Sundt Construction30 postings
- 13The Sundt Companies27 postings
- 14Ervin Cable Construction26 postings
- 15Cooperative Producers25 postings
- 16The Scoular Company25 postings
- 17Aramark24 postings
- 18Bigham Ag24 postings
- 19Group Management Services24 postings
- 20Drax Corporation Limited23 postings
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