Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers

Detailed Occupation

Add Comparison

2020 Workforce

32.5k

Average Age

40.6

Average Salary

$56,613

Average Male Salary

$56,672

Average Female Salary

$52,599

About

Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers are most often employed by the Construction industry. The average yearly wage for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers was $56,613 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers by wage are Structural iron & steel workers, Precision instrument & equipment repairers, and Secondary school teachers.

Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers are part of the Construction & Extraction Occupations, along with Firstline supervisors of construction trades & extraction workers, Boilermakers, Carpenters, Carpet, floor, & tile installers & finishers, Cement masons, concrete finishers, & terrazzo workers, and 28 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers are Rural Nevada PUMA, NV, Alamo Area COG (Southwest) PUMA, TX, and Bozeman City PUMA, MT. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers are Rural Nevada PUMA, NV, Alamo Area COG (Southwest) PUMA, TX, and Bozeman City PUMA, MT.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers and on wages and locations for those in the field. Construction is the industry that employs the most Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers, by average wage, is Metal ore mining. Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers are paid most in Grady, McClain & Pottawatomie (South) Counties PUMA, OK but are relatively concentrated in Rural Nevada PUMA, NV.

Yearly Wage

$56,613

AVERAGE SALARY

± $5,378

In 2020, Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers earned an average of $56,613, $659 more than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Structural iron & steel workers make somewhat more than Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers while Secondary school teachers make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.327

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.327, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers, by number of employees, are Construction, Support activities for mining, Nonmetallic mineral mining & quarrying, Coal mining, Metal ore mining, Water, steam, air-conditioning, & irrigation systems, Oil & gas extraction, Waste management & remediation services, Funeral homes, & cemeteries & crematories , Architectural, engineering & related services, and Truck transportation.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers, by average wage, are Metal ore mining, Support activities for mining, and Architectural, engineering & related services.

Industries by Share

32.5k

2020 Workforce

± 4,422

−4.67%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 20%

The number of people employed as Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers has been declining at a rate of −4.67%, from 34,038 people in 2019 to 32,450 people in 2020.

This graphic shows the share of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers employed by various industries. Construction employs the largest share of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers at 65.1%, followed by Support activities for mining with 11.1% and Nonmetallic mineral mining & quarrying with 10.5%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers in the US. The average age of male Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers in the workforce is 40.6 and of female Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers is 39.3, and the most common race/ethnicity for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

32k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 4,390

465

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 529

98.6% of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers are Male, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers

White (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)

72.2% of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 12.8% of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers, White (Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers.

Age by Sex

40.6

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 1.77

39.3

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 13

The median age of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers is 40.6, and Male employees are generally 1.32 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers is Business but a relatively high number of Surface mining machine operators and earth drillers hold a major in Physical Sciences.