Also called: Continuous Miner Operator, Roof Bolter
Runs the big machines that cut coal and minerals deep underground.
You ride a cage down 1,000 feet, then operate a continuous miner, a machine with a spinning drum covered in teeth that chews through the rock face. Your crew follows behind bolting the roof to keep it from falling.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma plus MSHA new-miner safety training (24-40 hours) and on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking. Coal mining is shrinking; mineral mining is steadier.
Medium risk for 10 years. Remote-controlled and semi-autonomous continuous miners are spreading, so fewer operators sit at the face.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to underground mines; most pay for your new-miner training First: MSHA new-miner training (40 hours underground) before your first shift
Classes: Shop class, Mechanics CTE class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-5041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.