Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 47-5044.00United States
Operate underground loading or moving machine to load or move coal, ore, or rock using shuttle or mine car or conveyors. Equipment may include power shovels, hoisting engines equipped with cable-drawn scraper or scoop, or machines equipped with gathering arms and conveyor.
- Median annual earnings
- $74,359
- Projected change
- −16.4%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 6.18K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
92.6% of the workforce
Growing to 5.16K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What loading and moving machine operators, underground mining do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.
- Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.
- Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.
- Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.
- Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.
- Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
- Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.
- Operate levers to move conveyor booms or shovels so that mine contents such as coal, rock, and ore can be placed into cars or onto conveyors.
- Clean, fuel, service, and perform safety checks on all equipment, and repair and replace parts as necessary.
- Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.
- Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment.
- Monitor loading processes to ensure that materials are loaded according to specifications.
- Measure, weigh, or verify levels of rock, gravel, or other excavated material to prevent equipment overloads.
- Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $51,871
- 25th percentile
- $61,246
- 50th percentile
- $74,359
- 75th percentile
- $79,387
- 90th percentile
- $88,595
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $74,359 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−16.4%projected to decline
20256,175 jobs
2035 projected5,163 jobs
1,012 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
- 92.6%
- Certificate
- 6.2%
- Associate degree
- 1.3%
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.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- 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.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Loader Operators3,090 postings
- 02Front End Loader Operators274 postings
- 03Heavy Equipment Operators252 postings
- 04Yard Loaders209 postings
- 05Asphalt Plant Operators192 postings
- 06Underground Miners141 postings
- 07Excavator Operators82 postings
- 08Equipment Operators55 postings
- 09Underground Utility Locators41 postings
- 10Ready Mix Drivers39 postings
- 11Laborers/Operators29 postings
- 12Asphalt Laborers28 postings
- 13Asphalt Roller Operators27 postings
- 14Transload Operators27 postings
- 15Crusher Operators24 postings
- 16Batch Plant Operators20 postings
- 17Dozer Operators20 postings
- 18Backhoe Operators18 postings
- 19Transfer Station Operators18 postings
- 20Heavy Civil Project Managers15 postings
Top employers
- 01CRH plc204 postings
- 02Copart143 postings
- 03Martin Marietta136 postings
- 04Vulcan Materials130 postings
- 05Heidelberg Materials125 postings
- 06Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers118 postings
- 07CRH Americas87 postings
- 08Smyrna Ready Mix82 postings
- 09Rb Global Corporation75 postings
- 10Phillips44 postings
- 11Cemex41 postings
- 12Concrete Supply Company40 postings
- 13Copart Of Connecticut39 postings
- 14Knife River35 postings
- 15Rogers Group34 postings
- 16Aerotek31 postings
- 17Amrize30 postings
- 18Nevada Gold Mines30 postings
- 19Iaa Holdings29 postings
- 20Kilgore International29 postings
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