The median pay for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining is $74,500 a year ($35.82/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 15.8% through 2035, with about 400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 47-5044
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining in four numbers
- Median pay
- $74,500a year, or $35.82/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $52KTop 10% $88K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -15.8%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−15.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −15.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4005,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20255.9K
- Projected 20355K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 5.9K Projected 2035 5K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school40%
- High school52.6%
- Certificate6.2%
- Associate's1.3%
Highest education held by loading and moving machine operators, underground mining Segment Value Less than high school 40% High school 52.6% Certificate 6.2% Associate's 1.3%
Also advertised as: Coal Hauler Operator, Equipment Operator, Load Haul Dump Operator (LHD Operator), Loader Operator, Loading Machine Operator, Miner Operator.
Pay
How much do Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining make?
Every loading and moving machine operator, underground mining in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$74,500
Middle half earn $61,410 to $79,150
- 10th
- $52,030
- 25th
- $61,410
- 75th
- $79,150
- 90th
- $87,730
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $52,030 |
| 25th | $61,410 |
| Median | $74,500 |
| 75th | $79,150 |
| 90th | $87,730 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $74,500
- Median hourly wage
- $35.82/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $71,240
- People employed
- 5,930
Versus all US occupations
At $74,500, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining earn 46% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $23,520 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $60,020, this is 24% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $87,730 or more while the bottom 10% earn $52,030, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 49% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wyoming pays the most at $112,110, and still leads at $120,950 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wyoming | $112,110 | $120,950 | 30 |
| 2Alaska | $93,130 | $90,984 | 50 |
| 3Nevada | $82,920 | $82,937 | 880 |
| 4South Carolina | $80,480 | $85,846 | 30 |
| 5Colorado | $79,150 | $76,806 | 70 |
| 6Virginia | $76,900 | $76,060 | 190 |
| 7Illinois | $75,890 | $75,922 | 90 |
| 8Pennsylvania | $75,240 | $77,112 | N/A |
| 9West Virginia | $74,950 | $83,746 | 1,250 |
| 10Arizona | $72,430 | $71,943 | 100 |
Job outlook
Is Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -15.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | −15.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining to change -15.8% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 900 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 400 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 5,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-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 loading and moving machine operators, underground mining.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)52.6%
- Less than a High School Diploma40%
- Post-Secondary Certificate6.2%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree1.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 52.6% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 40% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 6.2% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 1.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining do?
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.
Day-to-day tasks
- Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.
- Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
- Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.
- Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.
- Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.
- Clean, fuel, service, and perform safety checks on all equipment, and repair and replace parts as necessary.
- Monitor loading processes to ensure that materials are loaded according to specifications.
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 serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
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
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Active Learning2.1
- Learning Strategies2.1
- Writing2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.1 |
| Writing | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control3.4
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Troubleshooting3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Equipment Maintenance3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Repairing2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.4 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Repairing | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Facilities management software
- Industrial control software
- Inventory management software
- Time accounting 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 Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| 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
- Conventional3.7
- Investigative2.1
- Artistic1.0
- Social1.0
- Enterprising1.0
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 Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator
$46,420median a year
Most earn $37K to $63K
+1.5%No formal credential - 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
Continuous Mining Machine Operator
$61,810median a year
Most earn $47K to $86K
+3.2%No formal credential - Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Construction and Extraction
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator
$59,850median a year
Most earn $42K to $101K
+4.6%High school
More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with loading and moving machine operators, underground mining highlighted
- Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining$74,500
- Plumber$63,800
- Electrician$63,190
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker$62,780
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining | $74,500 |
| Plumber | $63,800 |
| Electrician | $63,190 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Worker | $62,780 |
| 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 Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining appears on
Questions
Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining: frequently asked questions
How much do Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining make?
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining earn a median of $74,500 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 46% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $35.82/hr. The middle half earn between $61,410 and $79,150. The top 10% earn $87,730 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 52.6% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 15.8% over 2025–2035, a loss of 900 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining do?
Operate underground loading or moving machine to load or move coal, ore, or rock using shuttle or mine car or conveyors. A core O*NET task: drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Operating system software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining the most?
The highest state medians for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining are Wyoming ($112,110), Alaska ($93,130), Nevada ($82,920) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining?
O*NET scores Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining 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.