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Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$68860	500	-22.3%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$68860

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

500

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-22.3%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Remove debris or damaged materials.
Move materials, equipment, or supplies.
Position material handling equipment.
Operate excavation equipment.
Operate conveyors or other industrial material moving equipment.
Clean machinery or equipment.
Maintain material moving equipment in good working condition.
Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
Record operational or production data.
Inspect equipment or facilities to determine condition or maintenance needs.
Clean equipment or supplies.
Perform manual service or maintenance tasks.
Direct material handling or moving activities.
Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.
Remove debris from work sites.
Operate locomotives or other rail vehicles.
Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.
Connect cables or electrical lines.
Measure product or material dimensions.
Weigh materials to ensure compliance with specifications.
Verify information or specifications.
Monitor loading processes to ensure they are performed properly.
Review work orders or schedules to determine operations or procedures.
Communicate with others to coordinate material handling or movement.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.
Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.
Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.
Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.
Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.
Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.
Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.
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.
Clean, fuel, service, and perform safety checks on all equipment, and repair and replace parts as necessary.
Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.
Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment.
Monitor loading processes to ensure that materials are loaded according to specifications.
Measure, weigh, or verify levels of rock, gravel, or other excavated material to prevent equipment overloads.
Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth.
Stop gathering arms when cars are full.
Move mine cars into position for loading and unloading, using pinchbars inserted under car wheels to position cars under loading spouts.
Advance machines to gather material and convey it into cars.
Signal workers to move loaded cars.
Guide and stop cars by switching, applying brakes, or placing scotches, or wooden wedges, between wheels and rails.
Observe and record car numbers, carriers, customers, tonnages, and grades and conditions of material.
Read written instructions or confer with supervisors about schedules and materials to be moved.
Maintain records of materials moved.
Direct other workers to move stakes, place blocks, position anchors or cables, or move materials.
Push or ride cars down slopes, or hook cars to cables and control cable drum brakes, to ease cars down inclines.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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