Mine Cutting Machine Operators
Operate machinery to cut along the surfaces of mines or quarries.
Quick Facts
View All Career Information
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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 & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Mine Cutting Machine Operators most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Mine Cutting Machine Operators operate machinery, like longwall shears, plows, and cutting machines, to cut along the seams of mines or quarries. They do this to help blast or remove minerals from mines.
Physical Demands 
This career requires time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Operate detonation equipment.
- Operate mining equipment.
- Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
- Monitor extraction operations.
- Maintain extraction or excavation equipment.
- Cut openings in existing structures.
- Install safety or support equipment.
- Position construction or extraction equipment.
- Position safety or support equipment.
- Prepare explosives for detonation.
Typical Working Conditions
- Exposure to hazardous equipment.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Exposure to contaminants (like gases or odors).
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- Frequent contact with others.
- A work pace that is determined by the speed of equipment.
- Working with a group or team.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
High School or less
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)| Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 13.1 |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 53.3 |
| Some college, no degree | 24 |
| Associate degree | 4.9 |
| Bachelors degree | 4 |
| Masters degree | 0.7 |
| Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 0 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Moderate-term on-the-job training to become competent.
Current Training Opportunities
Related Programs
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Accounting
- Algebra I and II
- Blueprint Reading
- Business Computer Applications
- CAD Design
- Drafting
- Electronics
- Geometry
- Physics
- Technical Writing
- Trigonometry
- Woodworking
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Mine Cutting Machine Operators
- Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Operating Equipment—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Controlling Quality—Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Solving Complex Problems—Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Maintaining Equipment—Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Repairing—Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Choosing Equipment or Tools—Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Mine Cutting Machine Operators
- Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
- Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Engineering and Technology—Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Physics—Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Controlling machines and processes.
- Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to find or fix problems.
- Operating vehicles or equipment.
- Monitoring information from a variety of sources to find problems.
- Repairing and maintaining mechanical equipment.
- Handling and moving objects.
- Communicating with supervisors, co-workers, or people that work under you.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Mine Cutting Machine Operators.
View more careers in the Architecture and Construction cluster
View more careers in the Natural Resources Systems pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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.
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Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Coal Miner,
Underground Heavy Equipment Operator,
Continuous Miner Operator (CMO),
Bore Miner Operator,
Continuous Mining Machine Operator,
Longwall Shearer Operator,
Miner,
Miner Operator,
Shearer Operator,
Miner Operator
Where Do Mine Cutting Machine Operators Work?
Mine Cutting Machine Operators often work in the following industries.
Similar Careers
Below are careers that use skill sets that are similar to Mine Cutting Machine Operators.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
