Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other vs Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas: Salary, Job Outlook & Education | Career Matchup
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Career comparison

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other vs Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

Compare the evidence side by side. Career Matchup shows the source data without declaring an overall winner.

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01 · Compensation

Pay and employment

Median annual wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$70,130
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$60,190
86% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

Mean annual wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$69,860
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$62,830
90% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

Hourly median wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$33.72
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$28.94
86% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

Hourly mean wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$33.59
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$30.21
90% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

10th percentile annual wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$49,020
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$44,460
91% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

25th percentile annual wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$51,670
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$49,900
97% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

75th percentile annual wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$83,120
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$72,450
87% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

90th percentile annual wage

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other$85,010
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$83,800
99% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

National employment

2025

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other3,180
16% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas19,450
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 47-5023

02 · Outlook

Employment outlook

Bars compare the same metric across the two careers. They are not an overall score.

Projected employment change

2025-2035

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other-1%
28% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas3.6%
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5023

Average annual openings

2025-2035

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other0.3k
21% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas1.4k
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5023

03 · Preparation

Education and training

Typical entry-level education

2025-2035

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNo formal educational credential

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and GasHigh school diploma or equivalent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5023

Related work experience

2025-2035

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Value missing or suppressed in source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and GasLess than 5 years

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5023

On-the-job training

2025-2035

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherModerate-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5049

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and GasLong-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 47-5023

04 · Context and fit

Work context

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Contact with others

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas4 raw · CX scale
75% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Time pressure

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas3 raw · CX scale
50% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Spend time standing

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas4.1 raw · CX scale
78% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Exposed to contaminants

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas4.2 raw · CX scale
81% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Exposed to disease or infections

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas1.3 raw · CX scale
8% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Exposed to hazardous equipment

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas4.4 raw · CX scale
85% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

04 · Context and fit

Skills

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Monitoring

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas3.1 raw · LV scale
45% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Active listening

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas3 raw · LV scale
43% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Critical thinking

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas3 raw · LV scale
43% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Speaking

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas2.9 raw · LV scale
41% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Reading comprehension

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas2.5 raw · LV scale
36% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Writing

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas2.4 raw · LV scale
34% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Active learning

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas2.3 raw · LV scale
32% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Learning strategies

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas2 raw · LV scale
29% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

04 · Context and fit

Work styles

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Dependability

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas2.4 raw · WI scale
89% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Attention to detail

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas2.1 raw · WI scale
84% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Stress tolerance

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas1.5 raw · WI scale
75% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Cooperation

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas0.5 raw · WI scale
59% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 47-5023.00

Explore your next step

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

  • Use the career comparison checklist

Sources

Each side retains the source release, reference period, occupation code, and file hash used for the comparison.

Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 47-5049 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 47-5049 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 47-5023 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 47-5023 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

O*NET Database

Source-backed

O*NET Resource Center

Release 31.0 · Reference August 2026

Occupation code 47-5023.00 · SHA-256 c63ad00a8e45f3d3ef8e1529fcf8864d2279f2dfcb98737436818f5664781b04

Read the data in context

Career Matchup does not declare an overall winner. National estimates can hide local variation, and O*NET relative values describe the named construct rather than whether a career is better.

Career Matchup is an independent comparison tool.

Data sourcesData availabilityAboutFree guideContactPrivacyTermsData: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET® Database.