Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
Also called: Load Haul Dump Operator (LHD Operator), Loader Operator, Loading Machine Operator, Shuttle Car OperatorOperate 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 25 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 15.8% 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 96% 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 | $60,020 | $56,260 to $60,240 | 510 |
| Alaska | $93,130 | $74,460 to $102,410 | 50 |
| Arizona | $72,430 | $60,360 to $73,980 | 100 |
| Colorado | $79,150 | $79,150 to $80,450 | 70 |
| Georgia | $50,380 | $48,160 to $58,920 | 100 |
| Illinois | $75,890 | $75,850 to $79,440 | 90 |
| Iowa | $48,490 | $46,830 to $59,070 | 100 |
| Louisiana | $48,670 | $40,650 to $63,910 | 110 |
| Michigan | $59,310 | $49,420 to $61,110 | 80 |
| Missouri | $52,040 | $45,890 to $56,990 | 100 |
| Nevada | $82,920 | $81,810 to $91,880 | 880 |
| New York | $60,890 | $57,240 to $61,300 | 140 |
| Ohio | $71,380 | $49,000 to $87,730 | 130 |
| Oklahoma | $44,760 | $38,740 to $57,600 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,240 | $74,680 to $78,180 | not published |
| South Carolina | $80,480 | $56,570 to $80,480 | 30 |
| Texas | $47,310 | $45,200 to $66,240 | 70 |
| Virginia | $76,900 | $75,620 to $81,540 | 190 |
| West Virginia | $74,950 | $68,410 to $78,760 | 1,250 |
| Wyoming | $112,110 | $106,590 to $115,870 | 30 |
Nationally: $74,500. 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 4 of its 25 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| Not much | Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses. | Not published |
| Not much | Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars. | Not published |
See all 25 tasks
| Not much | Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, fuel, service, and perform safety checks on all equipment, and repair and replace parts as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves. | Not published |
| AI + software | Monitor loading processes to ensure that materials are loaded according to specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking. | Not published |
| Not much | Advance machines to gather material and convey it into cars. | Not published |
| Not much | Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure, weigh, or verify levels of rock, gravel, or other excavated material to prevent equipment overloads. | Not published |
| Not much | Signal workers to move loaded cars. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain records of materials moved. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read written instructions or confer with supervisors about schedules and materials to be moved. | Not published |
| Not much | Move mine cars into position for loading and unloading, using pinchbars inserted under car wheels to position cars under loading spouts. | Not published |
| Not much | Stop gathering arms when cars are full. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct other workers to move stakes, place blocks, position anchors or cables, or move materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Guide and stop cars by switching, applying brakes, or placing scotches, or wooden wedges, between wheels and rails. | Not published |
| AI + software | Observe and record car numbers, carriers, customers, tonnages, and grades and conditions of material. | Not published |
| Not much | Push or ride cars down slopes, or hook cars to cables and control cable drum brakes, to ease cars down inclines. | 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 25 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 25 tasks fall under 20 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.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities |
Show all 20 activities
| Operate construction or excavation equipment | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Install commercial or production equipment |
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 loading and moving machine operators, underground mining 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 next
of 1,514 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 8%
- 2 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 7%
- 4 Mining Machine Operators, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
Where people moved in from
of 2,094 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 9%
- 2 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 7%
- 3 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 6%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
Combined from the 2010 occupations “Loading Machine Operators, Underground Mining” and “Mine Shuttle Car Operators”, which BLS merged into yours. The data has no figures for “Mine Shuttle Car Operators”, so it isn't included. 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
- 40% less than high school
- 53% high school
- 6% postsecondary certificate
- 1% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 38 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”
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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