Careers / Continuous Mining Machine Operators
Continuous Mining Machine Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$61,810
United States, 2025
Employment
14,000
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 47-5041.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$46,770
25th percentile
$51,610
75th percentile
$77,570
90th percentile
$86,210
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Equipment Maintenance3.4
- Troubleshooting3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Repairing3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Monitoring3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 12 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
12
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Operation and Control | 3.9 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.4 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Repairing | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.3 | Not selected | 2.3 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $41,730
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsSupplemental
National median $70,070
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsSupplemental
National median $78,540
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsSupplemental
National median $52,800
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsSupplemental
National median $46,420
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsSupplemental
National median $53,340
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsSupplemental
National median $56,450
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsSupplemental
National median $73,300
Compare with Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| MN | $90,820 | 420 | 2025 |
| Duluth, MN | $86,230 | 50 | 2025 |
| NV | $85,590 | 1,110 | 2025 |
| WY | $85,260 | 330 | 2025 |
| CO | $81,110 | 290 | 2025 |
| WV | $77,570 | 720 | 2025 |
| IL | $74,830 | 230 | 2025 |
| IN | $71,570 | 170 | 2025 |
| Wheeling, WV | $66,300 | 120 | 2025 |
| Charleston, WV | $65,280 | 70 | 2025 |
| Beckley, WV | $64,270 | 120 | 2025 |
| VA | $63,480 | 230 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $63,250 | 710 | 2025 |
| CA | $62,790 | 940 | 2025 |
| FL | $62,580 | 230 | 2025 |
| ID | $60,990 | 70 | 2025 |
| Tucson, AZ | $60,880 | 720 | 2025 |
| AZ | $60,880 | 2,850 | 2025 |
| PA | $60,780 | 510 | 2025 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $60,780 | 140 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Continuous Mining Machine Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.