Construction and Extraction

Helpers--Extraction Workers

Help extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying equipment or cleaning work area.

MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES

A wage reference for United States.

Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.

Source wage group: Helpers--Extraction Workers

This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Helpers--Extraction Workers. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.

May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.

Median annual wage$47,730USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$22.95USD per hour · Published 50th percentile

Annual wage thresholds

USD per year

Hourly wage thresholds

USD per hour

Published occupational wage percentiles · United States · May 2025
PercentileAnnual wage (USD/year)Hourly wage (USD/hour)
10th$36,960$17.77
25th$41,430$19.92
50th · Median$47,730$22.95
75th$57,920$27.84
90th$68,020$32.70

“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.

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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE

What this career involves.

Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.

Selected title examples

Blaster HelperBlasting HelperBoring Machine Operator HelperBottom Hole Pressure Recording Operator HelperChurn Driller HelperClean Out Driller HelperClean-Out Driller HelperCoal LoaderContinuous Miner Operator HelperCore Drill Operator HelperCore Driller HelperCutter Operator Helper
Expand more title examples (47)
Cutting Machine Operator HelperDerrick HandDerrick HelperDerrickman HelperDrill HelperDriller HelperDriller's AssistantDrilling AssistantExtraction Tech (Extraction Technician)Gravity Prospecting Observer HelperHammerer HelperHorizontal Earth Boring Machine Operator HelperJack SetterJoy Operator HelperLoading Machine Operator HelperLongwall Machine Operator HelperMachine HelperMine and Quarry MinerMine LaborerMine Milling WorkerMine Tailings WorkerMiner AssistantMiner HelperMining HelperOre DiggerPowder CarrierPowdermanPumper HelperRaise Bore HelperRig Builder HelperRoof Bolter HelperRoof ObserverRotary Drill Operator HelperRotary Driller HelperRotary HelperRoughneckSalt MinerSandfill OperatorSeismic Prospecting Observer HelperSeismograph HelperShale Planer Operator HelperShooter HelperShot Core Drill Operator HelperShot Crew HelperTest Borer HelperTunnel MuckerWash Driller Helper

Typical tasks

  • Observe and monitor equipment operation during the extraction process to detect any problems.
  • Drive moving equipment to transport materials and parts to excavation sites.
  • Unload materials, devices, and machine parts, using hand tools.
  • Set up and adjust equipment used to excavate geological materials.
  • Organize materials to prepare for use.
  • Repair and maintain automotive and drilling equipment, using hand tools.
Expand more tasks (8)
  • Clean up work areas and remove debris after extraction activities are complete.
  • Clean and prepare sites for excavation or boring.
  • Load materials into well holes or into equipment, using hand tools.
  • Provide assistance to extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers and derrick operators.
  • Collect and examine geological matter, using hand tools and testing devices.
  • Signal workers to start geological material extraction or boring.
  • Dismantle extracting and boring equipment used for excavation, using hand tools.
  • Dig trenches.

Skills used in this work

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Expand more skills (29)
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Equipment Selection
Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
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.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Management of Material Resources
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Technology Design
Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Installation
Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
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Sources and citation.

Cite this page: Wages.fyi, “Helpers--Extraction Workers career and wage guide.” Link to this Wages.fyi page

This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wages.fyi has selected and organized this information and added wage navigation and explanations. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Database license and attribution requirements.

Official occupation profile · Official wage reference . Wage reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service. Source data and publication dates can differ from the date this page is accessed.