Careers / Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining

Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.

Median annual wage

$74,500

United States, 2025

Employment

5,930

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 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.

O*NET code
47-5044.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • 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.
  • Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.
  • Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$52,030
10th
$61,410
25th
$74,500
Median
$79,150
75th
$87,730
90th

10th percentile

$52,030

25th percentile

$61,410

75th percentile

$79,150

90th percentile

$87,730

Most important skills

  • Operation and Control3.4
  • Operations Monitoring3.3
  • Troubleshooting3.1
  • Speaking3.0
  • Equipment Maintenance3.0
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Coordination3.0
  • Monitoring2.9
  • Social Perceptiveness2.9
  • Reading Comprehension2.9
  • Repairing2.8

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 8 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

8

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

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Operation and Control3.43.3Not selected3.3
Operations Monitoring3.33.3Not selected3.3
Troubleshooting3.13.1Not selected3.1
Equipment Maintenance3.03.1Not selected3.1
Coordination3.03.0Not selected3.0
Speaking3.02.9Not selected2.9
Active Listening3.02.9Not selected2.9
Critical Thinking3.02.8Not selected2.8

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
WY$112,110302025
AK$93,130502025
NV$82,9208802025
Wheeling, WV$81,1001402025
Charlotte, NC$80,480302025
SC$80,480302025
CO$79,150702025
VA$76,9001902025
IL$75,890902025
PA$75,2402025
WV$74,9501,2502025
Beckley, WV$74,1302002025
AZ$72,4301002025
OH$71,3801302025
NY$60,8901402025
AL$60,0205102025
MI$59,310802025
Tuscaloosa, AL$57,7301202025
MO$52,0401002025
GA$50,3801002025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career 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.