Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining Salary
Construction and Extraction Occupations · 5.9K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$74,500
Median hourly
$36
Average annual
$71,240
Typical range
$52,030–$87,730
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining is $74,500 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $36 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $52,030 and $87,730 a year. There are roughly 5.9K people employed as loading and moving machine operators, underground mining in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.
- Hourly
- $35.82
- Daily
- $287
- Weekly
- $1,433
- Bi-weekly
- $2,865
- Monthly
- $6,208
- Annual
- $74,500
$74,500 a year is around the 50th percentile for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Minings. The median is $74,500.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Wyoming$112,110
- 2Alaska$93,130
- 3Nevada$82,920
- 4South Carolina$80,480
- 5Colorado$79,150
- 6Virginia$76,900
- 7Illinois$75,890
- 8Pennsylvania$75,240
- 9West Virginia$74,950
- 10Arizona$72,430
- 11Ohio$71,380
- 12New York$60,890
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Wheeling, WV-OH$81,100
- 2Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$80,480
- 3Beckley, WV$74,130
- 4Tuscaloosa, AL$57,730
- 5Baton Rouge, LA$47,910
Related job titles
Employers advertise Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining$57,430
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators$61,810
- Hoist and Winch Operators$56,450
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$58,870
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Crane and Tower Operators$68,080
- Pile Driver Operators$73,300
What a Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining does
- Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.
- Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.
- Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.
- Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.
- Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment.
- Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth.
- Operate levers to move conveyor booms or shovels so that mine contents such as coal, rock, and ore can be placed into cars or onto conveyors.
- Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining make?
- The median annual wage for Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining is $74,500 ($36 per hour). Pay ranges from about $52,030 at the 10th percentile to $87,730 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $71,240, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Minings the most?
- Wyoming has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $112,110.
- Is Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 5.9K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining do?
- Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.; Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.; Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars..