Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other (2026 stats)
TL;DR
The national workforce is about 3,480 underground mining machine operators, all other. Projections imply about 17.5% annual decline; much hiring sits in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
Key Statistics
Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other: what the data shows
Common questions about underground mining machine operators, all other careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a underground mining machine operators, all other?
Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-5049.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 3,480 workers.
What does a underground mining machine operators, all other do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a underground mining machine operators, all other make?
BLS national median annual wage: $67,220 (May 2024 in our extract).
What education do you need?
For Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other, 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 Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Production and Processing, Law and Government, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is underground mining machine operators, all other in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 17.5% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -61.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -85.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 3,480.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do underground mining machine operators, all others work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 3,480 | 22.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 3,480 | 22.0% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 2,950 | 18.6% |
| Mining (except Oil and Gas) | 2,700 | 17.1% |
| Metal Ore Mining | 1,560 | 9.8% |
| Coal Mining | 910 | 5.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other workforce.
Employment Over Time
3,480 Workforce in 2023
The Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$N/A Average Wage
In 2023, Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other earned an average of $N/A.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Salary distribution for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Employment Growth Projections
-17.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
7 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -61.8%
2 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -85.4%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Wage Trends by Industry
Wage trend data by industry is not available for this occupation.
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
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:
- MN: 930 employees, $72,230 avg wage
- NV: 230 employees, $62,200 avg wage
- WV: 200 employees, $73,970 avg wage
- UT: 150 employees, $64,760 avg wage
- AZ: 130 employees, $70,140 avg wage
- AK: 70 employees, $83,620 avg wage
- MO: 70 employees, $58,890 avg wage
- PA: 70 employees, $57,630 avg wage
- KY: 60 employees, $57,920 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Wheeling, WV-OH: 40 employees, $68,770 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Diversity
Demographic information on Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other in 2023 was 3,480 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
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 Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other workers.
Education level distribution for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Skills
Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other include Mechanical, Production and Processing, Law and Government, Education and Training, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other include Control Precision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Reaction Time, Multilimb Coordination, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
Daily Activities
Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment.
Most important work activities for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other.
About
Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other
The average yearly wage for Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other was $N/A in 2023.
SOC Code
47-5049 - Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other
Insights and Analysis
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,480 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -17.5%, 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.