What Do Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator Do?
Job Description: Operate machinery such as longwall shears, plows, and cutting machines to cut or channel along the face or seams of coal mines, stone quarries, or other mining surfaces to facilitate blasting, separating, or removing minerals or materials from mines or from the Earth’s surface. Includes shale planers.
List of Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator Job Duties
- Advance plow blades through coal strata by remote control, according to electronic or radio signals from the tailer.
- Replace worn or broken tools and machine bits and parts, using wrenches, pry bars, and other hand tools, and lubricate machines, using grease guns.
- Signal crew members to adjust the speed of equipment to the rate of installation of roof supports, and to adjust the speed of conveyors to the volume of coal.
- Free jams in planer hoppers, using metal pinch bars.
- Charge and set off explosives in blasting holes.
- Reposition machines and move controls to make additional holes or cuts.
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Things a Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators say are important on the job.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Machine Cutter
- Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Company Miner
- Surface Miner
- Bore Miner Operator
- Shear Operator
Is There Going to be Demand for Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators?
In the United States, there were 6,100 jobs for Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator. There will be an estimated 700 positions for Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator per year.

The states with the most job growth for Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator are Alaska, Missouri, and Texas. Watch out if you plan on working in Georgia, Illinois, or Virginia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator
Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators make between $28,680 and $74,250 a year.

Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators who work in Wyoming, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania, make the highest salaries.
How much do Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $52,250 |
California | $58,290 |
Colorado | $56,730 |
Illinois | $48,230 |
Indiana | $44,160 |
Kentucky | $41,290 |
Missouri | $37,400 |
New York | $39,720 |
Ohio | $50,000 |
Oklahoma | $35,960 |
Pennsylvania | $60,830 |
South Carolina | $46,740 |
Tennessee | $42,280 |
Texas | $34,500 |
Virginia | $38,630 |
West Virginia | $62,110 |
Wyoming | $80,740 |
What Tools & Technology do Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
Becoming a Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator
Education needed to be a Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator?

Where Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators Are Employed

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as a Mine Cutting or Channeling Machine Operator sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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