The median pay for Continuous Mining Machine Operators is $61,810 a year ($29.72/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.2% through 2035, with about 1,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 47-5041
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Continuous Mining Machine Operator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $61,810a year, or $29.72/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $86K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.2%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,40014,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202514K
- Projected 203514.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 14K Projected 2035 14.4K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school4%
- High school81.3%
- Certificate9.6%
- Some college5.1%
Highest education held by continuous mining machine operators Segment Value Less than high school 4% High school 81.3% Certificate 9.6% Some college 5.1%
Also advertised as: Bore Miner Operator, Continuous Miner, Continuous Miner Operator (CMO), Continuous Mining Machine Operator, Continuous Mining Operator (CMO), Heavy Equipment Operator.
Pay
How much do Continuous Mining Machine Operators make?
Every continuous mining machine operator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$61,810
Middle half earn $51,610 to $77,570
- 10th
- $46,770
- 25th
- $51,610
- 75th
- $77,570
- 90th
- $86,210
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,770 |
| 25th | $51,610 |
| Median | $61,810 |
| 75th | $77,570 |
| 90th | $86,210 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $61,810
- Median hourly wage
- $29.72/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $65,050
- People employed
- 14,000
Versus all US occupations
At $61,810, Continuous Mining Machine Operators earn 21% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $10,830 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $60,020, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $86,210 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,770, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 35% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Minnesota pays the most at $90,820, and still leads at $92,090 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Continuous Mining Machine Operators the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Minnesota | $90,820 | $92,090 | 420 |
| 2Nevada | $85,590 | $85,608 | 1,110 |
| 3Wyoming | $85,260 | $91,983 | 330 |
| 4Colorado | $81,110 | $78,708 | 290 |
| 5West Virginia | $77,570 | $86,673 | 720 |
| 6Illinois | $74,830 | $74,861 | 230 |
| 7Indiana | $71,570 | $76,686 | 170 |
| 8Virginia | $63,480 | $62,787 | 230 |
| 9California | $62,790 | $56,711 | 940 |
| 10Florida | $62,580 | $60,514 | 230 |
Job outlook
Is Continuous Mining Machine Operator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | +3.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Continuous Mining Machine Operators to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,400 openings are projected each year, 10.0% of the 14,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Continuous Mining Machine Operator
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as continuous mining machine operators.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)81.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate9.6%
- Some College Courses5.1%
- Less than a High School Diploma4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 81.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 9.6% |
| Some College Courses | 5.1% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Continuous Mining Machine Operator do?
Operate self-propelled mining machines that rip coal, metal and nonmetal ores, rock, stone, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors, shuttle cars, or trucks in a continuous operation.
Day-to-day tasks
- Check the stability of roof and rib support systems before mining face areas.
- Drive machines into position at working faces.
- Conduct methane gas checks to ensure breathing quality of air.
- Reposition machines to make additional holes or cuts.
- Repair, oil, and adjust machines, and change cutting teeth, using wrenches.
- Hang ventilation tubing and ventilation curtains to ensure that the mining face area is kept properly ventilated.
- Operate mining machines to gather coal and convey it to floors or shuttle cars.
- Observe and listen to equipment operation to detect binding or stoppage of tools or other equipment malfunctions.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Active Learning2.8
- Learning Strategies2.4
- Writing2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.4 |
| Writing | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Operation and Control3.9
- Equipment Maintenance3.4
- Troubleshooting3.3
- Repairing3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Operation and Control | 3.9 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.4 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.3 |
| Repairing | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Mobile location based services software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Continuous Mining Machine Operator?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Continuous Mining Machine Operator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional4.1
- Investigative2.5
- Enterprising1.3
- Social1.0
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Continuous Mining Machine Operator
O*NET related occupations
- Construction and Extraction
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator
$59,850median a year
Most earn $42K to $101K
+4.6%High school - Construction and Extraction
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator, Surface Mining
$57,430median a year
Most earn $42K to $82K
+1.0%High school - Construction and Extraction
- Construction and Extraction
- Construction and Extraction
Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining
$74,500median a year
Most earn $52K to $88K
−15.8%No formal credential - Construction and Extraction
Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas
$67,890median a year
Most earn $47K to $102K
+0.8%No formal credential
More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with continuous mining machine operators highlighted
- Plumber$63,800
- Electrician$63,190
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker$62,780
- Continuous Mining Machine Operator$61,810
- Sheet Metal Worker$61,800
- Carpenter$60,580
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator$59,850
- Roofer$55,440
- Oil and Gas Roustabout$46,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Plumber | $63,800 |
| Electrician | $63,190 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Worker | $62,780 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operator | $61,810 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,800 |
| Carpenter | $60,580 |
| Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator | $59,850 |
| Roofer | $55,440 |
| Oil and Gas Roustabout | $46,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Continuous Mining Machine Operator appears on
Questions
Continuous Mining Machine Operator: frequently asked questions
How much do Continuous Mining Machine Operators make?
Continuous Mining Machine Operators earn a median of $61,810 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 21% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $29.72/hr. The middle half earn between $51,610 and $77,570. The top 10% earn $86,210 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Continuous Mining Machine Operator?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Continuous Mining Machine Operators, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 81.3% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Continuous Mining Machine Operator a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Continuous Mining Machine Operator do?
Operate self-propelled mining machines that rip coal, metal and nonmetal ores, rock, stone, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors, shuttle cars, or trucks in a continuous operation. A core O*NET task: check the stability of roof and rib support systems before mining face areas. Employers most often ask for Office suite software, Presentation software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Continuous Mining Machine Operators the most?
The highest state medians for Continuous Mining Machine Operators are Minnesota ($90,820), Nevada ($85,590), Wyoming ($85,260) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Continuous Mining Machine Operator?
O*NET scores Continuous Mining Machine Operators highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.