How to hire loading and moving machine operators, underground mining

A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.

$35.82U.S. median hourly pay
$61,410–$79,150Middle half, yearly
5,930People in this job in the U.S.

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.
• Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.
• Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.
• Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.
• Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.
• Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.
• Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
• Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential]
• Strong active listening, critical thinking and speaking skills
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $35.82 an hour ($74,500 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Check your finished job post

Interview questions for loading and moving machine operators, underground mining

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

  1. Tell me about a time you had to control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  2. Tell me about a time you had to drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  3. Tell me about a time you had to drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  4. Tell me about a time you had to examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
  6. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
  7. Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
  8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What loading and moving machine operators, underground mining do

  • Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.
  • Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.
  • Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.
  • Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.
  • Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.
  • Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.
  • Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
  • Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeaking

Education, experience and outlook for loading and moving machine operators, underground mining

  • Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
  • Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
  • Job outlook: -15.8% over ten years, declining · about 400 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay loading and moving machine operators, underground mining

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

StateMedian yearly pay
Nevada$82,920
West Virginia$74,950
Alabama$60,020

See loading and moving machine operators, underground mining pay in every state

Related hiring guides

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Job duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.