Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
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.
What it pays
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining earn a median of $35.82/hr — about $74,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $25.02/hr; the top 10% earn $42.18/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining earn a median of $35.82/hr — about $74,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $25.02/hr; the top 10% earn $42.18/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2.8% of loading and moving machine operators, underground mining are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a loading and moving machine operators, underground mining make?
- The median pay is $35.82 per hour — roughly $74,500 a year, with the real range running from about $25.02/hr (10th percentile) to $42.18/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a loading and moving machine operators, underground mining?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a loading and moving machine operators, underground mining actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.