Check the loader for faults
Look the loader over carefully for any faults before you start running it.
Career profile
Underground Mining Loading Operator
Underground loader operators move broken coal or rock out of the mining area and onward.
From the seat of a load-haul-dump machine, you control a powerful bucket, and the challenge is keeping every motion steady and repeatable in tight quarters.
A day in the life
Fill the bucket from the pile
Drive into the loose pile, handling bucket and driving controls at the same time to fill the bucket.
Dump the load at handoff
Keep watching the route as you drive, then position the loader and dump at the handoff spot.
Record what you moved
Note how much material you moved and its condition, so the shift's work can be followed.
Quick facts
No formal educational credential
United States · 2025–2035
$74,500 a year
United States · May 2025
15.8% decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
No formal educational credentialTypical entry education; mine-safety and equipment training are still required.
Pay
$74,500 a yearMedian: $35.82 an hour for underground loading and moving machine operators.
Outlook
15.8% declineEmployment is projected to shrink, with about 400 openings annually across underground loading and moving machine operators.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy learning precise hand-and-eye movements.
- You can stay attentive through repeated loading cycles.
- You are comfortable checking instructions with a supervisor.
Things to weigh
- Noise, vibration and cramped positions can make the work tiring.
- Workweeks can extend beyond 40 hours.
Where AI may help
At equipped mines, software can drive a loader between points, dump its load and assist with bucket filling. Operators can work from a control station away from the machine.
What people still lead
People monitor machine movements and alerts and use remote controls for tasks the installed system leaves to them.
What we can’t predict yet
How much of your shift becomes driving versus monitoring will depend on the mine's equipment, communication network and ability to separate automated work areas.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use these figures as a national comparison when considering an offer. Ask about the hourly rate, paid hours and overtime terms.
The national middle
The median was $74,500 a year, or $35.82 an hour. These figures cover loading and moving machine operators in underground mining, including loader and shuttle-car operators; they are not starting-pay estimates.
The national spread
The 10th-to-90th-percentile range was $52,030–$87,730 annually, or $25.02–$42.18 hourly. These are positions in the wage distribution, not beginner and experienced-worker rates.
Openings despite a decline
Employment is projected to fall 15.8% from 2025 to 2035. About 400 openings per year are projected across the occupation as workers leave or move to other work, even while total employment shrinks.
Getting started
Learn through an entry mining job
- What the route involves
- Seek an entry job that includes training. Complete at least 40 hours of underground new-miner instruction under Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules, then practice the equipment tasks.
- What it can lead to
- Completing new-miner instruction and the relevant task training prepares you to take on the mine's operating duties.
- What to check
- You must demonstrate safe operation to the mine operator or its representative before operating the machine without direction and immediate supervision.
Practice at an underground training camp
- What the route involves
- The University of Alaska Fairbanks offers an underground mine-training camp with safety instruction, equipment simulators and hands-on loader practice at its Delta Junction training center.
- What it can lead to
- You gain introductory operating experience and preparation for entry underground production work before applying to a mine.
- What to check
- A course does not guarantee a job or replace the hiring mine's required site and equipment training. Check admission, dates and costs before committing.
You can train through an employer or prepare through an underground mine-training program. Check the state's requirements as well as the mine's: some states require additional training.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get consistent
Build a smooth load-haul-dump cycle, with reliable control of the bucket and machine.
Learn another machine
Develop competence on additional underground equipment, completing new-task training when the operating duties change.
Specialize in remote operation
At a mine with automated loaders, learn to control and monitor machines from a remote station. Some systems let one operator supervise several machines.
Where you can work
At the controls underground
You ride with the machine, working close to the load in confined passages.
- Vehicle
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
In a mine control room
Where remote loaders are installed, you use controls, machine-location displays and alerts. Automated operating areas need controlled access; this is a mine-based equipment role.
- Indoors
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Draw a narrow passage with a loading point and a dumping point. Move a paper loader through five cycles, then add a blocked section and rethink the route. Notice whether repeating precise movements while watching clearances holds your attention.
Stay safe: Keep this a tabletop exercise; it does not teach you to operate mining equipment.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining — 47-5044.00. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates — SOC 47-5044. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — SOC 47-5044. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Mine Safety and Health Administration / eCFR. 30 CFR 48.5 — Training of new miners. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Mine Safety and Health Administration / eCFR. 30 CFR 48.7 — Training for new work tasks. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Mine Safety and Health Administration. Training FAQs for Miners. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- University of Alaska Fairbanks. Mining and Petroleum Training Service — Industry Training Camps. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Sandvik. AutoMine Lite — product specifications. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Sandvik. Automation — underground loading and hauling. Accessed 2026-10-09.