Helpers--Extraction Workers
Also called: Driller Helper, Driller's Assistant, Miner Helper, PowdermanHelp extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying equipment or cleaning work area.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 1.7% 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, 7.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other extraction workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.7 hires for every 10 job openings in mining and logging, which employs about 52% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $48,820 | $40,570 to $65,860 | 80 |
| Arizona | $49,070 | $47,510 to $57,190 | not published |
| California | $51,720 | $46,370 to $58,320 | 1,170 |
| Colorado | $37,450 | $37,450 to $53,730 | 190 |
| Florida | $41,090 | $39,000 to $46,920 | 420 |
| Indiana | $49,490 | $43,190 to $79,360 | 140 |
| Kentucky | $68,020 | $68,000 to $68,020 | 230 |
| Louisiana | $46,940 | $44,700 to $49,720 | 320 |
| Maryland | $51,020 | $49,710 to $53,810 | 80 |
| Mississippi | $36,160 | $36,140 to $36,560 | not published |
| Montana | $46,720 | $42,960 to $55,470 | 120 |
| Nevada | $46,610 | $46,500 to $48,360 | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $54,700 | $54,340 to $61,060 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $53,820 | $45,040 to $61,460 | not published |
| New Mexico | $54,840 | $35,140 to $74,340 | 130 |
| New York | $54,910 | $48,480 to $60,470 | 210 |
| North Carolina | $42,670 | $36,500 to $54,720 | 150 |
| Oklahoma | $38,510 | $26,320 to $43,110 | 140 |
| Oregon | $46,270 | $43,820 to $58,380 | 90 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,290 | $43,990 to $49,860 | 370 |
| South Dakota | $45,250 | $45,250 to $53,140 | 60 |
| Texas | $40,650 | $38,130 to $44,300 | 970 |
| Utah | $55,490 | $45,600 to $55,490 | not published |
| Virginia | $50,350 | $49,000 to $78,010 | 90 |
| West Virginia | $77,180 | $43,140 to $77,230 | 360 |
| Wyoming | $55,240 | $50,150 to $68,780 | 110 |
Nationally: $47,730. 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 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Organize materials to prepare for use. | Not published |
| AI + software | Observe and monitor equipment operation during the extraction process to detect any problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Unload materials, devices, and machine parts, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Drive moving equipment to transport materials and parts to excavation sites. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean up work areas and remove debris after extraction activities are complete. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and adjust equipment used to excavate geological materials. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| Not much | Load materials into well holes or into equipment, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair and maintain automotive and drilling equipment, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide assistance to extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers and derrick operators. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and prepare sites for excavation or boring. | Not published |
| AI + software | Signal workers to start geological material extraction or boring. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect and examine geological matter, using hand tools and testing devices. | Not published |
| Not much | Dismantle extracting and boring equipment used for excavation, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Dig trenches. | 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 14 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 14 tasks fall under 12 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.
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles |
Show all 12 activities
| Prepare industrial materials for processing or use | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Collect environmental or biological samples | |||
| Operate construction or excavation 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 helpers--extraction workers 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 222 moves in
- 1 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 8%
- 2 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Low +2.2% 6%
- 3 Driver/Sales Workers Moderate +7.9% 5%
- 9 Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Low +3.6% 3%
- 10 Financial Analysts (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
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
- 97% high school
- 2% postsecondary certificate
- 2% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 16 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 19% less than high school
- 50% high school
- 19% some college
- 5% associate's
- 6% bachelor's
- 1% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other extraction workers” · 526 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 “Other extraction workers”
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
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (MINER I (Mine & Quarry)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Helpers--Extraction Workers” there.
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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