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Helpers–Extraction Workers: Career Profile

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.

The Daily Work of Helpers–Extraction Workers Do?

The core tasks performed by helpers–extraction workers include:

• 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.
• Clean up work areas and remove debris after extraction activities are complete.
• Clean and prepare sites for excavation or boring.

What Helpers–Extraction Workers Need to Know

Successful helpers–extraction workers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Core Knowledge

Related Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

• Blaster Helper
• Blasting Helper
• Boring Machine Operator Helper
• Bottom Hole Pressure Recording Operator Helper
• Churn Driller Helper
• Clean Out Driller Helper
• Clean-Out Driller Helper
• Coal Loader

Job Outlook

There are about 707,923 helpers–extraction workers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +9.0% over the projection horizon.

How Much Do Helpers–Extraction Workers Make?

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$58,903
Hourly median	$28.32
10th percentile	$33,549
25th percentile	$46,226
75th percentile	$71,581
90th percentile	$84,258

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

How Much Do Helpers–Extraction Workers Make in Different U.S. States?

State	Annual median salary
West Virginia	$75,270
Kentucky	$66,320
Virginia	$65,250
New Jersey	$60,020
Indiana	$59,990
Oklahoma	$57,560
Wyoming	$55,970
Utah	$54,100
New York	$53,360
New Hampshire	$52,990
Arizona	$52,760
Hawaii	$52,170
Georgia	$51,810
Maryland	$49,930
Missouri	$49,230
Alaska	$48,860
Pennsylvania	$48,400
South Dakota	$48,100
Nevada	$47,250
Montana	$46,030
California	$46,010
Oregon	$45,760
Washington	$44,640
New Mexico	$44,340
Louisiana	$42,830
Texas	$41,050
North Carolina	$40,570
Florida	$38,620
Colorado	$36,550

Where Helpers–Extraction Workers Earn the Most

Pay for helpers–extraction workers vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Great Lakes	$59,990	2.1%	0.91
Southeast	$55,166	23.3%	3.84
New England	$52,990	0.8%	1.77
Middle Atlantic	$50,020	9.9%	1.01
Plains States	$48,432	2.8%	4.49
Far Western US	$46,975	17.1%	4.21
Southwest	$46,470	31.9%	3.21
Rocky Mountains	$46,038	12.2%	4.55

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	AZ	$66,130	300
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	CA	$60,560	60
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	PA	$52,000	60
Billings, MT	MT	$50,740	40
Midland, TX	TX	$46,130	230
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	NC	$44,700	80
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	CO	$44,330	40
Odessa, TX	TX	$41,250	110

Which Industries Hire Helpers–Extraction Workers

The largest employers of helpers–extraction workers work in these industries:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	4,050	$50,050
Construction	2,170	$47,020
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	120	$42,870

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

Tech Stack

• Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

The work environment for helpers–extraction workers tends to involve the following characteristics:

• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
• Exposed to Contaminants

How to Become Helpers–Extraction Workers

Typical helpers–extraction workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

• Construction Laborers (Supplemental)
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Supplemental)
• Helpers–Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters (Primary-Long)
• Helpers–Carpenters (Primary-Short)
• Helpers–Electricians (Supplemental)
• Helpers–Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons (Primary-Long)
• Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Primary-Long)
• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas (Primary-Short)

References

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 47-5081.00 (Helpers–Extraction Workers).