How much does a mine machine operator make?
Answer: A typical mine machine operator in the United States makes $70,130 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 3,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Mine machine operator pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $49,020 | $70,130 | $85,010 | about 3,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $83,120 | about 930 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience, in-demand machine skills, and useful credentials can boost pay. Pay also differs by location, employer or mining industry, and how complex or responsible the machine work is.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a mine machine operator do?
All underground mining machine operators not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
They drive a loader or other underground machine through a narrow tunnel, moving coal, ore, or rock to a conveyor or mine car. They clear obstacles from the route and follow hand signals from coworkers.
How to get this job
In the U.S., no formal school credential is usually required, and operators learn on the job over several months. At 18 or older, complete MSHA's new-miner safety training and supervised practice on each machine before operating it alone.
Did you know?
U.S. researchers tested a remote-controlled coal cutter from 200 feet away on the surface, for work in seams only 36 inches high.
Earn more in the same field
Construction and Extraction jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?start=151
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-30/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-48/subpart-A
- www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-A/part-570/subpart
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-5044.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/206021/cdc_206021_DS1.pdf
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY