Construction and Extraction

Continuous Mining Machine Operators

12/100
#636 of 825
$61,810
median pay, U.S.
14,000
employed (2024)
+0.6%
growth, 2024–34
1,600
openings per year
No formal educational credential
typical entry education

Is continuous mining machine operators a good career?

It scores 12/100 and ranks #636 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.

Advantages

  • Pays above the U.S. median wage ($61,810)
  • No college degree typically required to enter

Possible tradeoffs

  • Slower-than-average projected growth (+0.6%)

What continuous mining machine operators earn

Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025

Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. continuous mining machine operators earn between $51,610 and $77,570 a year.

Best-paying states

Minnesota statewide
$90,820
Nevada statewide
$85,590
Wyoming statewide
$85,260
Colorado statewide
$81,110
West Virginia statewide
$77,570
Illinois statewide
$74,830
Indiana statewide
$71,570
Virginia statewide
$63,480
California statewide
$62,790
Florida statewide
$62,580
$40k $80k $120k

Best-paying metros

01 Duluth, MN $86,230
02 Wheeling, WV $66,300
03 Charleston, WV $65,280
04 Beckley, WV $64,270
05 Phoenix, AZ $63,250
06 Tucson, AZ $60,880
07 Pittsburgh, PA $60,780
08 Tuscaloosa, AL $58,430

Strongest employment concentration

01 Arizona 2,850
02 Nevada 1,110
03 California 940
04 Missouri 920
05 Utah 890
06 West Virginia 720

Live continuous mining machine operators jobs

No live continuous mining machine operators openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified continuous mining machine operators openings will appear here — each shown against the $61,810 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.

No placeholder listings · nothing invented

How to become a continuous mining machine operator

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Related occupations

No formal educational credential · $46,960 median
No formal educational credential · $58,160 median
High school diploma or equivalent · $57,430 median
Questions about becoming a continuous mining machine operator
How much do continuous mining machine operators make?

The national median wage is $61,810 a year, with the middle half earning between $51,610 and $77,570 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is continuous mining machine operators a good career?

On the Jobs.best index it scores 12 of 100 and ranks #636 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +0.6% through 2034.

What education do you need to become a continuous mining machine operator?

The typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential.

Where do continuous mining machine operators earn the most?

Among states, Minnesota pays the highest median ($90,820). Local pay for every state and metro is below.

U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWages: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Projections: BLS EP 2024–34
Sources: OEWS-M2025 · EP-2024-34. How we score careers →