Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators 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.

• Position jacks, timbers, or roof supports, and install casings, to prevent cave-ins.
• Move planer levers to control and adjust the movement of equipment, the speed, height, and depth of cuts, and to rotate swivel cutting booms.
• Reposition machines and move controls to make additional holes or cuts.
• Cut entries between rooms and haulage ways.

Salary

Mine Cutting Machine Operators with little to no experience tend to make between $28680 and $35940 while the more experienced ones can earn over $61830 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operator is to move to a higher paying state like WY. Right now, the highest paying states for Mine Cutting Machine Operators are WY, WV, PA, CA and CO.

However, a higher pay at WY doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at WY might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operator is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Mine Cutting Machine Operators what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by less than a High School Diploma.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operator.

What is the job like

63% of Mine Cutting Machine Operators said they were satisfied with their job and 56% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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