How To Become A Miner Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a miner operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average miner operator salary is $38,650. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an precision metal working major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a miner operator. Miner operators with a Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 32,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMiner OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,650

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.5

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.07%

Asian 0.66%

Black or African American 4.64%

Hispanic or Latino 12.17%

Unknown 3.85%

White 76.60%

Gender

female 5.48%

male 94.52%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

8.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a miner operator

Explore miner operator education requirements

Most common miner operator degrees

High School Diploma

60.0 %

Bachelor's

12.7 %

Associate

10.0 %

Start to develop specific miner operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Safety Procedures	48.52%
Ground Support	21.83%
Equipment Operation	5.98%
MSHA	4.68%
Torches	3.72%

Complete relevant miner operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New miner operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a miner operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real miner operator resumes.

Research miner operator duties and responsibilities

Attain MSHA certificates on all personally operate equipment.
Operate forklift and perform mig welding.
Monitor underground tracking system, last three months run scoop underground.
Perform various duties such as section set-up, longwall moves, and yard and supply.

Prepare your miner operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your miner operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a miner operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable miner operator resume templates

Build a professional miner operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your miner operator resume.