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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-5022
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$57,430
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
—
Proj. Annual Openings
34,480
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-4%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 47-5022 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 55/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $57,430
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- —
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -0.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 657 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive Listening
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.2%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
12.1%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI0%
AI ability · AIOE36.3%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne94%
Top Skills
1.Operation and Control
2.Operations Monitoring
3.Monitoring
4.Reading Comprehension
5.Active Listening
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
Common titles: Backhoe Operator, Dragline Oiler, Dragline Operator, Equipment Operator, Excavator Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
- •Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.
- •Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.
- •Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
- •Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Operate excavation equipment.
- •Inspect material-moving equipment to detect problems.
- •Maintain professional knowledge or certifications.
- •Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
- •Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotEmail softwareGoogle GmailMachine control systemsMachine monitoring software
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
1.2%
Avg AI Exposure
12
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 47-5022: 2019 — employment: 44,090, median wage: $44,800; 2020 — employment: 40,240, median wage: $45,150; 2021 — employment: 35,720, median wage: $46,740; 2022 — employment: 33,670, median wage: $48,350; 2023 — employment: 32,630, median wage: $50,050; 2025 — employment: 34,480, median wage: $57,430.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Outlook | Average | 70% Bright |
| Median Salary | $57,430 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |