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Continuous Mining Machine Operators

$57.36K Median Salary 1.9K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 5.9% Job Growth

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About This Career

Operate self-propelled mining machines that rip coal, metal and nonmetal ores, rock, stone, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors, shuttle cars, or trucks in a continuous operation.

Reported Job Titles

Bore Miner Operator, Continuous Miner, Continuous Miner Operator (CMO), Continuous Mining Machine Operator, Continuous Mining Operator (CMO), Heavy Equipment Operator, Loader Operator, Mine Technician, Mine Utility Operator, Miner Operator

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Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Control Precision

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Multilimb Coordination

Problem Sensitivity

Reaction Time

Near Vision

Rate Control

Depth Perception

Hearing Sensitivity

Selective Attention

Far Vision

Manual Dexterity

Deductive Reasoning

Extent Flexibility

Flexibility of Closure

Inductive Reasoning

Oral Expression

Perceptual Speed

Response Orientation

Trunk Strength

Auditory Attention

Category Flexibility

Finger Dexterity

Information Ordering

Static Strength

Time Sharing

Visual Color Discrimination

Visualization

Knowledge

Mechanical

Production and Processing

Law and Government

Education and Training

Skills

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Equipment Maintenance

Critical Thinking

Troubleshooting

Judgment and Decision Making

Repairing

Active Listening

Complex Problem Solving

Monitoring

Speaking

Time Management

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Presentation software

Mobile location based services software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Analytical or scientific software

Tools

Continuous mining equipment

Hard hats

Tape measures

Air exhausters

Jacks

Belt conveyors

Track bulldozers

Power drills

Boom bolters

Shovels

Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories

Bulk material carriers

Protective gloves

Goggles

Locking pliers

Sledge hammer

Open end wrenches

Grease fitting

Adjustable wrenches

Single gas monitors

Grease guns

Screwdrivers

Acoustic ear muffs or defenders

Abilities

Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Knowledge

Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Mobile location based services software: Global positioning system GPS software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT

Tools

Continuous mining equipment: Remote-control continuous miners
Hard hats:
Tape measures: Diameter tape measures
Air exhausters: Exhaust units
Jacks: Hydraulic jacks
Belt conveyors: Conveyer belt systems
Track bulldozers: Wide track bulldozers
Power drills: Hand drills
Boom bolters: Boom roof bolters; Roof bolters
Shovels: Snow shovels
Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories: Self-contained breathing apparatus
Bulk material carriers: Diesel shuttle cars; Electric shuttle cars
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Goggles: Safety goggles
Locking pliers: Channel lock pliers; Vise grip pliers
Sledge hammer: Steel sledge hammers
Open end wrenches: Adjustable open end wrenches
Grease fitting: Grease fittings
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
Single gas monitors: Carbon monoxide sensors; Mercury vapor analyzers
Grease guns:
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Acoustic ear muffs or defenders: Protective ear muffs