How much does a mine load operator make?

In the US, pay varies with experience, the mine and employer, location, and skill with specialized machines or harder tasks. Longer hours or night shifts can change total pay, while MSHA safety and machine training helps workers qualify for particular tasks.

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.

What's a typical day like?

After a safety huddle and machine check, a mine load operator goes underground and drives a loader into blasted rock. They scoop ore into trucks or conveyors, watch the roadway, and signal coworkers to keep material moving.

Complete high school or a GED, then apply at a mine; federal law bars under-18s from mining. Before underground work, finish MSHA’s 40-hour new-miner course and task training; demonstrate safe machine operation under supervision.

High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

At some U.S. mines, operators steer load-haul-dump loaders by remote control from a protected underground spot nicknamed a “Turkey Nest.”