What Does it Take to Be a Mining Roof Bolter?
Occupation Description Operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.
What Do Mining Roof Bolters Do On a Daily Basis?
- Perform ventilation tasks, such as hanging ventilation curtains and tubes.
- Install various types of bolts including truss, glue, and resin bolts, traversing entire ceiling spans.
- Perform tests to determine if methane gas is present.
- Position safety jacks to support underground mine roofs until bolts can be installed.
- Position bolting machines, and insert drill bits into chucks.
- Dust rocks after bolting.
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Things a Mining Roof Bolter Should Know How to Do
These are the skills Mining Roof Bolters say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Related Job Titles
- Underground Mine Superintendent
- Underground Bolting Machine Operator
- Underground Mining Section Foreman
- Bolting Inspector
- Roof Bolter Operator
Mining Roof Bolter Job Outlook
In the United States, there were 3,700 jobs for Mining Roof Bolter in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Mining Roof Bolter. The BLS estimates 400 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Mining Roof Bolter are Idaho, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, Utah, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Mining Roof Bolter
The average yearly salary of a Mining Roof Bolter ranges between $43,330 and $77,690.

Mining Roof Bolters who work in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Mining Roof Bolters make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Illinois | $59,350 |
Indiana | $52,540 |
Kentucky | $47,420 |
Pennsylvania | $68,570 |
West Virginia | $60,880 |
Wyoming | $92,720 |
What Tools do Mining Roof Bolters Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Mining Roof Bolters:
- Data entry software
How to Become a Mining Roof Bolter
Individuals working as a Mining Roof Bolter have obtained the following education levels:

What work experience do I need to become a Mining Roof Bolter?

Where Mining Roof Bolters Work

Below are examples of industries where Mining Roof Bolters work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Mining Roof Bolter might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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