Mine equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator

The differences between mine equipment operators and heavy equipment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mine equipment operator has an average salary of $43,664, which is higher than the $39,822 average annual salary of a heavy equipment operator.

The top three skills for a mine equipment operator include loaders, graders and end loaders. The most important skills for a heavy equipment operator are loaders, backhoe, and CDL.

Mine equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator overview

	Mine Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$43,664	$39,822
Hourly rate	$20.99	$19.15
Growth rate	1%	5%
Number of jobs	40,310	47,261
Job satisfaction	-	4.6
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	40	45
Years of experience	-	4

Mine equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator salary

Mine equipment operators and heavy equipment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mine Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average salary	$43,664	$39,822
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $56,000	Between $27,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Moody's
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between mine equipment operator and heavy equipment operator education

There are a few differences between a mine equipment operator and a heavy equipment operator in terms of educational background:

	Mine Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Mine equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator demographics

Here are the differences between mine equipment operators' and heavy equipment operators' demographics:

	Mine Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average age	40	45
Gender ratio	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	3%	2%

Differences between mine equipment operator and heavy equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Mine equipment operator example responsibilities.

Operate other various equipment including but not limit to shovels, loaders, snow plows, and water trucks.
Track Dozers: D8L, D9.
Operate heavy equipment such as loaders, forklifts, mining trucks and dump trucks.
Remove debris such as loose shale from channels and planer travel areas using battery and diesel scoops.
Preform grind checks every shift to determine if any work needs to be done before start up of crusher plant.
Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.

Heavy equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate trucks and equipment such as backhoe, dump trucks, front-end loader, hydraulic excavator, skid steers and bulldozers.
Operate heavy equipment including, but limit to, backhoe, excavators, bobcats, forklifts, trucks and wheel loaders.
Operate equipment used for construction purposes such as tankers, cranes, bulldozers, loaders, compost mixers and excavators.
Put down mulch cut grass, plant and dig up.
Work with asphalt, cut down trees, and dig trenches.

Mine equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator skills

Common mine equipment operator skills

Loaders, 22%
Graders, 19%
End Loaders, 17%
OSHA, 13%
Shovels, 13%
MSHA, 10%

Common heavy equipment operator skills

Loaders, 9%
Backhoe, 6%
CDL, 6%
Asphalt, 5%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Dump Truck, 5%

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Mine Equipment Operator vs Heavy Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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