Continuous Mining Machine Operators
Also called: Continuous Miner Operator (CMO), Continuous Mining Machine Operator, Continuous Mining Operator (CMO), Miner OperatorOperate 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 15 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.2% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Underground mining machine operators”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.7 hires for every 10 job openings in mining and logging, which employs about 99% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.8.7 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,360 | $58,430 to $61,340 | 340 |
| Arizona | $60,880 | $60,300 to $71,330 | 2,850 |
| Arkansas | $47,890 | $39,510 to $58,660 | 80 |
| California | $62,790 | $62,240 to $78,830 | 940 |
| Colorado | $81,110 | $81,040 to $81,110 | 290 |
| Florida | $62,580 | $44,760 to $63,270 | 230 |
| Georgia | $57,160 | $50,170 to $63,070 | 140 |
| Idaho | $60,990 | $52,180 to $80,050 | 70 |
| Illinois | $74,830 | $47,490 to $78,500 | 230 |
| Indiana | $71,570 | $68,570 to $71,900 | 170 |
| Kentucky | $50,020 | $49,900 to $63,330 | 390 |
| Michigan | $57,760 | $52,490 to $65,050 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $90,820 | $64,440 to $99,850 | 420 |
| Missouri | $47,280 | $42,900 to $61,390 | 920 |
| Nebraska | $51,760 | $49,520 to $64,950 | 70 |
| Nevada | $85,590 | $80,990 to $87,090 | 1,110 |
| New Mexico | $48,900 | $42,730 to $59,170 | 470 |
| New York | $46,450 | $43,680 to $56,000 | 180 |
| North Carolina | $59,030 | $58,710 to $61,480 | 230 |
| Ohio | $58,030 | $48,880 to $75,930 | 260 |
| Oklahoma | $46,980 | $46,120 to $50,520 | 310 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,780 | $58,230 to $62,430 | 510 |
| Texas | $48,950 | $32,400 to $56,380 | 390 |
| Utah | $59,420 | $49,460 to $73,510 | 890 |
| Virginia | $63,480 | $52,280 to $74,630 | 230 |
| West Virginia | $77,570 | $64,270 to $81,720 | 720 |
| Wyoming | $85,260 | $85,260 to $114,540 | 330 |
Nationally: $61,810. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 2 of its 15 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Check the stability of roof and rib support systems before mining face areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct methane gas checks to ensure breathing quality of air. | Not published |
| Not much | Hang ventilation tubing and ventilation curtains to ensure that the mining face area is kept properly ventilated. | Not published |
| Not much | Drive machines into position at working faces. | Not published |
| Not much | Reposition machines to make additional holes or cuts. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate mining machines to gather coal and convey it to floors or shuttle cars. | Not published |
See all 15 tasks
| Not much | Repair, oil, and adjust machines, and change cutting teeth, using wrenches. | Not published |
| AI + software | Observe and listen to equipment operation to detect binding or stoppage of tools or other equipment malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Move controls to start and regulate movement of conveyors and to start and position drill cutters or torches. | Not published |
| Not much | Determine locations, boundaries, and depths of holes or channels to be cut. | Not published |
| Not much | Scrape or wash conveyors, using belt scrapers or belt washers, to minimize dust production. | Not published |
| Not much | Install casings to prevent cave-ins. | Not published |
| Not much | Guide and assist crews laying track and resetting supports and blocking. | Not published |
| Not much | Move levers to raise and lower hydraulic safety bars supporting roofs above machines until other workers complete framing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Apply new technologies developed to minimize the environmental impact of coal mining. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 15 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 15 tasks fall under 13 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #17 Implement procedures or processes
- #37 Determine operational methods or procedures
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate construction or excavation equipment | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Implement procedures or processes | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas |
Show all 13 activities
| Build structures | |||
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment | |||
| Direct construction or extraction activities | |||
| Test sites or materials for environmental hazards |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for continuous mining machine operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved in from
of 161 moves in
- 1 Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Moderate -5.7% 18%
- 2 Mining Machine Operators, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 16%
- 3 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 4 Interior Designers High +2.7% 7%
- 12 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers High +1.8% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 4% less than high school
- 81% high school
- 10% postsecondary certificate
- 5% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 29 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 13% less than high school
- 54% high school
- 21% some college
- 6% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Underground mining machine operators” · 556 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Underground mining machine operators”
1 program: Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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