Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining Salary: $68,860 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 6,130 loading and moving machine operators, underground mining work nationally, and $68,860 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 16.7% annual decline; much hiring sits in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining: what the data shows
Common questions about loading and moving machine operators, underground mining careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a loading and moving machine operators, underground mining?
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-5044.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 6,130 workers.
What does a loading and moving machine operators, underground mining do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a loading and moving machine operators, underground mining make?
BLS national median annual wage: $68,860 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $77,369 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,970 |
| 25th percentile | $69,072 |
| Median (50th) | $79,860 |
| 75th percentile | $80,910 |
| 90th percentile | $93,963 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Education and Training, Law and Government, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is loading and moving machine operators, underground mining in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 16.7% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -60.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -84.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 6,130.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do loading and moving machine operators, underground minings work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 6,130 | 20.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 6,130 | 20.5% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 5,650 | 18.9% |
| Mining (except Oil and Gas) | 5,440 | 18.2% |
| Coal Mining | 3,320 | 11.1% |
| Metal Ore Mining | 1,120 | 3.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 159,500 | $47,590 |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 36,290 | $47,060 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 96,950 | $49,390 |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 154,820 | $41,230 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining workforce.
Employment Over Time
6,130 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining shrank from 100 in 2020 to 40 in 2025 (60.0%).
Historical employment for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining from the California OEWS series, 2020–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$68,860 Median pay (BLS national)
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining earn $68,860 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Salary distribution for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Employment Growth Projections
-16.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
15 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -60.0%
6 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -84.0%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Wage Trends by Industry
13.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 13.1% growth (Current: $77,369)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
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:
- WV: 1,610 employees, $71,560 avg wage
- NV: 810 employees, $79,150 avg wage
- PA: 310 employees, $67,380 avg wage
- KY: 280 employees, $66,480 avg wage
- OH: 270 employees, $66,210 avg wage
- IN: 230 employees, $56,150 avg wage
- AK: 210 employees, $87,740 avg wage
- IL: 210 employees, $76,390 avg wage
- VA: 170 employees, $78,320 avg wage
- GA: 150 employees, $53,050 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Beckley, WV: 210 employees, $67,600 avg wage
- Wheeling, WV-OH: 200 employees, $75,480 avg wage
- Tuscaloosa, AL: 140 employees, $56,250 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Diversity
Demographic information on Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining is about 6,130 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
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 Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining workers.
Education level distribution for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Skills
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Coordination, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining include Mechanical, Education and Training, Law and Government, English Language, Production and Processing.
Knowledge areas required for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining include Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Reaction Time, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Rate Control.
Required abilities for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
Daily Activities
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
About
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining earn $68,860 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
47-5044 - Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining reports an average salary of $77,369.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 6,130 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -16.7%, 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.