Also called: Fireboss, Pre-Shift Examiner
Goes into an underground coal mine before each shift to check for explosive gas, bad air and loose roof so miners can enter safely.
Hours before the crew arrives, you walk and ride miles of tunnels with a gas meter, testing for methane and oxygen at every work area. You tap the roof, check ventilation curtains and fire equipment, and chalk your initials and the date on the wall. Nobody goes in until your report is signed.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 3 years after high school. High school plus years of underground experience and a state mine examiner (fireboss) certificate.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Mining Technology.
Shrinking. Coal mining is shrinking, but every working mine still needs examiners.
Low risk for 10 years. Gas monitors and sensors help, but federal law still requires a certified person to examine the mine.
Classes: Chemistry, Earth science, Shop class, First aid / health.
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.