Helpers--Extraction Workers Salary: $49,287 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 6,720 helpers--extraction workers nationally earn a mean of $49,287. Employment in the series shown fell about 12% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 10.8% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Helpers--Extraction Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about helpers--extraction workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a helpers--extraction workers?
Helpers--Extraction Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-5081.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 6,720 workers.
What does a helpers--extraction workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Handling and Moving Objects, Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a helpers--extraction workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $48,400 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,258 |
| 25th percentile | $38,839 |
| Median (50th) | $47,362 |
| 75th percentile | $61,105 |
| 90th percentile | $62,608 |
What education do you need?
For Helpers--Extraction Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Repairing, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, English Language, Transportation, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is helpers--extraction workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 10.8% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -43.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -68.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 6,720.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do helpers--extraction workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 6,720 | 20.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 6,720 | 20.5% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 4,050 | 12.3% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 2,730 | 8.3% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 2,730 | 8.3% |
| Construction | 2,170 | 6.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Helpers--Extraction Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Helpers--Extraction Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
6,720 Workforce in 2023
The Helpers--Extraction Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$49,287 Average Wage
In 2023, Helpers--Extraction Workers earned an average of $49,287.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Salary distribution for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
-10.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
407 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -43.4%
230 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -68.0%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Helpers--Extraction Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Helpers--Extraction Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-23.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -13.0% growth (Current: $57,378)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 960 employees, $43,640 avg wage
- AZ: 400 employees, $55,130 avg wage
- WV: 350 employees, $66,740 avg wage
- NV: 350 employees, $48,120 avg wage
- FL: 340 employees, $40,150 avg wage
- CA: 300 employees, $47,880 avg wage
- PA: 300 employees, $49,080 avg wage
- OK: 300 employees, $44,960 avg wage
- NM: 300 employees, $44,530 avg wage
- CO: 260 employees, $49,090 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 300 employees, $58,220 avg wage
- Midland, TX: 230 employees, $45,440 avg wage
- Odessa, TX: 110 employees, $42,550 avg wage
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 80 employees, $45,820 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano, CA: 60 employees, $55,740 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 60 employees, $41,550 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 60 employees, $52,050 avg wage
- Billings, MT: 40 employees, $56,050 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 40 employees, $46,090 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 40 employees, $40,920 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Helpers--Extraction Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Helpers--Extraction Workers in 2023 was 6,720 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Helpers--Extraction Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Helpers--Extraction Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Skills
Helpers--Extraction Workers need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting.
Required skills for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Helpers--Extraction Workers include Mechanical, English Language, Transportation, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Helpers--Extraction Workers include Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Reaction Time, Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination.
Required abilities for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Helpers--Extraction Workers.
Daily Activities
Helpers--Extraction Workers spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Helpers--Extraction Workers.
About
Helpers--Extraction Workers
The average yearly wage for Helpers--Extraction Workers was $49,287 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-5081 - Helpers--Extraction Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Helpers--Extraction Workers reports an average salary of $49,287.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 6,720 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -10.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.