SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-5044.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $52,030 | $4,336 | $1,001 | $25.02 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $61,410 | $5,118 | $1,181 | $29.52 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $74,500 | $6,208 | $1,433 | $35.82 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $79,150 | $6,596 | $1,522 | $38.05 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $87,730 | $7,311 | $1,687 | $42.18 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining is $74,500, which is 46% higher. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 7 by median pay. With 5,930 jobs, it makes up about 0.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining pay by state
The highest median pay was in Wyoming ($112,110), Alaska ($93,130) and Nevada ($82,920). The lowest was in Oklahoma ($44,760), Texas ($47,310) and Iowa ($48,490). The most jobs were in West Virginia (1,250), Nevada (880) and Alabama (510). The occupation is most concentrated in West Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 46.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 30 | $112,110 | $109,860 | $53.90 |
| Alaska | 50 | $93,130 | $93,010 | $44.77 |
| Nevada | 880 | $82,920 | $84,310 | $39.87 |
| South Carolina | 30 | $80,480 | $69,600 | $38.69 |
| Colorado | 70 | $79,150 | $78,280 | $38.05 |
| Virginia | 190 | $76,900 | $78,100 | $36.97 |
| Illinois | 90 | $75,890 | $77,020 | $36.48 |
| Pennsylvania | not published | $75,240 | $74,470 | $36.17 |
| West Virginia | 1,250 | $74,950 | $74,200 | $36.04 |
| Arizona | 100 | $72,430 | $68,620 | $34.82 |
| Ohio | 130 | $71,380 | $71,690 | $34.32 |
| New York | 140 | $60,890 | $57,380 | $29.28 |
| Alabama | 510 | $60,020 | $58,030 | $28.86 |
| Michigan | 80 | $59,310 | $58,960 | $28.52 |
| Missouri | 100 | $52,040 | $51,310 | $25.02 |
| Georgia | 100 | $50,380 | $52,060 | $24.22 |
| Louisiana | 110 | $48,670 | $50,950 | $23.40 |
| Iowa | 100 | $48,490 | $51,760 | $23.31 |
| Texas | 70 | $47,310 | $53,730 | $22.75 |
| Oklahoma | 70 | $44,760 | $49,460 | $21.52 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Boilermakers$76,410 a year
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers$76,170 a year
- Construction and Building Inspectors$74,690 a year
- Pile Driver Operators$73,300 a year
- Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$70,130 a year
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators$70,070 a year
Common questions
How much do Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining earn in the United States?
The median pay was $74,500 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $52,030 and the highest-paid 10% more than $87,730.
How many people work as Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining?
About 5,930 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.