Underground Mining Machine Operators
SOC 47-5040
The median annual wage for Underground Mining Machine Operators is $63,770, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $63,240, and an estimated 25,390 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2021 and 2023, pay rose +6.6% while consumer prices rose 12.4% — a real change of -5.2% (pay did not keep up with inflation).
Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment
How the national median wage for Underground Mining Machine Operators has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.
| Year | Median (nominal) | In 2023 $ (real) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $63,770 | $63,770 | 25,390 |
| 2022 | $60,670 | $63,167 | 22,680 |
| 2021 | $59,840 | $67,289 | 24,200 |
Nominal change
+6.6%
Inflation (CPI)
+12.4%
Real change
-5.2%
Wage Distribution (National, 2023)
10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.
10th Pct
$42,030
25th Pct
$51,330
Median
$63,770
75th Pct
$74,840
90th Pct
$80,480
Related Occupations in Construction & Extraction
Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.