Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC
Continuous Mining Machine Operators
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.
Also called: Continuous Miner Operator (CMO), Continuous Mining Machine Operator, Continuous Mining Operator (CMO), Miner Operator, Bore Miner Operator, Continuous Miner, Heavy Equipment Operator, Loader Operator.
O*NET 47-5041.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $61,810
- Middle half earn $51,610 to $77,570. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 81% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Hang ventilation tubing and ventilation curtains to ensure that the mining face area is kept properly ventilated.
- Conduct methane gas checks to ensure breathing quality of air.
- Check the stability of roof and rib support systems before mining face areas.
- Operate mining machines to gather coal and convey it to floors or shuttle cars.
- Drive machines into position at working faces.
- Move controls to start and regulate movement of conveyors and to start and position drill cutters or torches.
- Reposition machines to make additional holes or cuts.
- Determine locations, boundaries, and depths of holes or channels to be cut.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
- Active Listening3.0 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
- Monitoring3.0 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
- Active Learning2.8 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical3.9 / 5
- Production and Processing3.7 / 5
- Law and Government3.4 / 5
- Education and Training3.3 / 5
- English Language2.8 / 5
- Administration and Management2.8 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative25
- Artistic0
- Social1
- Enterprising6
- Conventional51
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- mine supervisor · DE Aufsichtskraft in Bergwerken · FR superviseur de mine/superviseuse de mine
- mining equipment mechanic · DE Berg- und Maschinenmann Fachrichtung Transport und Instandhaltung/Berg und Maschinenfrau Fachrichtung Transport und Instandhaltung · FR mécanicien d’engins de mine/mécanicienne d’engins de mine
- surface miner · DE Tagebauarbeiter/Tagebauarbeiterin · FR mineur de surface/mineuse de surface
- underground heavy equipment operator · DE Berg- und Maschinenmann/Berg- und Maschinenfrau · FR opérateur d’équipement lourd souterrain/opératrice d’équipement lourd souterrain
- underground miner · DE Untertagearbeiter/Untertagearbeiterin · FR mineur de fond/mineuse de fond
- mineral crushing operator · DE Brechermaschinist/Brechermaschinistin · FR opérateur de broyeur/opératrice de broyeur
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Mining and quarry workers and related operatives (8132)9,200 employed
- Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers (5236)16,800 employed
- Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. (8229)53,000 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €39,630 |
| Netherlands | €37,567 |
| Austria | €37,304 |
| Sweden | €36,005 |
| Germany | €34,433 |
| Ireland | €32,617 |
| France | €28,550 |
| Italy | €28,330 |
| Spain | €24,409 |
| Portugal | €11,309 |
| Poland | €10,259 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.17. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-5041).
Related careers
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