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Underground heavy equipment operator

Also called miners, coalface miner, mine machine operator

Underground heavy equipment operators control heavy-duty mining equipment such as cutting and loading equipment to excavate and load ore and raw mineral at underground mines.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects22 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 7 in 10 train through vocational routes.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Miners and quarriers · ILO

What you'd do

Miners and quarriers · ILO
  • Positioning, operating and monitoring the performance of a variety of underground and surface mining equipment including continuous mining, cutting and channelling plant
  • Setting up and operating drilling equipment in underground and surface mines and quarries
  • Operating machinery and using hand or power tools to remove loosened rock, ore, coal and other deposits
  • Preparing, fitting and installing supports in underground workings including rock bolts
  • Operating machinery to open new shafts, drives, air vents and rises
  • Operating auxiliary plant such as pumps to expel air, water and mud
  • Performing minor maintenance and repairs and lubricating and cleaning plant, machines and tools
  • Completing records detailing operations completed during shifts
  • Collecting mineral samples for laboratory analysis
Operate mining toolsReact to events in time-critical environmentsConduct inter-shift communicationDeal with pressure from unexpected circumstancesPerform minor repairs to equipment+ 5 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Lots of contact with people, mostly with colleagues
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines now and then
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Continuous Mining Machine Operators"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as stationary plant and machine operators in the EU
4.79m4.76m4.7m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,125,000 replacing leavers 71,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Stationary plant and machine operators22
All jobs29
Right now
2 of 27 countries report a shortage of miners and quarriers, 4 a surplus.
Miners and quarriers · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among plant and machine operators, and assemblers in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in mining and extraction is the usual route.

Highest qualification of stationary plant and machine operators (EU, 2025)
Degree 8%Vocational 53%General secondary 10%Basic schooling 29%
Fields that teach it
Mining and extraction · Mechanics and metal trades · Occupational health and safety
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.17 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 9 tasks
Completing records detailing operations completed during shifts0.46
Operating machinery to open new shafts, drives, air vents and rises0.16
Collecting mineral samples for laboratory analysis0.15
Positioning, operating and monitoring the performance of a variety of underground and surface mining equipment including continuous mining, cutting and channelling plant0.14
Performing minor maintenance and repairs and lubricating and cleaning plant, machines and tools0.14
Operating auxiliary plant such as pumps to expel air, water and mud0.14
Operating machinery and using hand or power tools to remove loosened rock, ore, coal and other deposits0.13
Setting up and operating drilling equipment in underground and surface mines and quarries0.12
Preparing, fitting and installing supports in underground workings including rock bolts0.12

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for miners and quarriers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).