# Continuous Mining Machine Operators

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/continuous-mining-machine-operators
- SOC code: 47-5041.00
- Career family: Construction and extraction
- Median annual pay: $61,810 (10th percentile $46,770, 90th percentile $86,210)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.2%
- Openings a year: 1,400
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 100 |
| Investigative (I) | 25 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 1 |
| Enterprising (E) | 6 |
| Conventional (C) | 51 |

## What you'd do

- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 84/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 79/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 78/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 76/100)
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment (importance 73/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 72/100)
- Getting Information (importance 67/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 66/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 66/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 65/100)

## Skills

Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Critical Thinking, Troubleshooting, Judgment and Decision Making, Repairing, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Monitoring

## Knowledge

Mechanical, Production and Processing, Law and Government, Education and Training, English Language, Administration and Management, Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Design, Engineering and Technology

## Also called

Bore Miner Operator, Bulldozer Operator, Concrete Crusher Loader Operator, Continuous Miner, Continuous Miner Operator (CMO), Continuous Mining Machine Coal Miner, Continuous Mining Machine Company Miner, Continuous Mining Machine Contract Miner, Continuous Mining Machine Lode Miner, Continuous Mining Machine Miner

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Ground Transportation](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4902) (CIP 4902, 213 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Pennsylvania College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pennsylvania-college-of-technology-2096) | Ground Transportation | $54,938 | $62,389 | $12,000 |

## Related careers

- [Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/operating-engineers-and-other-construction-equipment-operators): $59,850 median pay
- [Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/excavating-and-loading-machine-and-dragline-operators-surface-mining): $57,430 median pay
- [Helpers--Extraction Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/helpers-extraction-workers): $47,730 median pay
- [Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/earth-drillers-except-oil-and-gas): $60,190 median pay
- [Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/loading-and-moving-machine-operators-underground-mining): $74,500 median pay
- [Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rotary-drill-operators-oil-and-gas): $67,890 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.