Continuous Mining Machine Operators Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for continuous mining machine operators in the U.S. is $61,810 ($29.72 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $61,810
- Mean annual wage
- $65,050
- Median hourly wage
- $29.72
- Employment
- 14,000
14,000 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,770 | $22.49 |
| 25th percentile | $51,610 | $24.81 |
| Median (50th) | $61,810 | $29.72 |
| 75th percentile | $77,570 | $37.29 |
| 90th percentile | $86,210 | $41.45 |
Highest-paying states for continuous mining machine operators
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $90,820 | 420 |
| Nevada | $85,590 | 1,110 |
| Wyoming | $85,260 | 330 |
| Colorado | $81,110 | 290 |
| West Virginia | $77,570 | 720 |
| Illinois | $74,830 | 230 |
| Indiana | $71,570 | 170 |
| Virginia | $63,480 | 230 |
| California | $62,790 | 940 |
| Florida | $62,580 | 230 |
Lowest-paying states
- New York: $46,450 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $46,980 median annual wage
- Missouri: $47,280 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $47,890 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $48,900 median annual wage
About this occupation
Operate self-propelled mining machines that rip coal, metal and nonmetal ores, rock, stone, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors, shuttle cars, or trucks in a continuous operation.
Typical tasks
- Hang ventilation tubing and ventilation curtains to ensure that the mining face area is kept properly ventilated.
- Install casings to prevent cave-ins.
- Check the stability of roof and rib support systems before mining face areas.
- Repair, oil, and adjust machines, and change cutting teeth, using wrenches.
- Drive machines into position at working faces.
- Move controls to start and regulate movement of conveyors and to start and position drill cutters or torches.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 15.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 51.7% |
| Some college, no degree | 20.1% |
| Associate's degree | 8.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.6% |
| Master's degree | 0.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.