Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Continuous Mining Machine Operator salary in California
The average Continuous Mining Machine Operator salary in California is $71,500 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $64,500 to $81,500. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For California pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$67,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$7,000
10.2% of base
Total target cash
$74,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$4,00050th$7,00075th$11,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Continuous Mining Machine Operator is a professional role within the function in the Construction and Extraction job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Hang ventilation tubing and ventilation curtains to ensure that the mining face area is kept properly ventilated.
Conduct methane gas checks to ensure breathing quality of air.
Check the stability of roof and rib support systems before mining face areas.
Operate mining machines to gather coal and convey it to floors or shuttle cars.
Drive machines into position at working faces.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlEquipment MaintenanceTroubleshootingCritical ThinkingRepairing
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Continuous Mining Machine Operator pay by experience level
Entry level$48,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$53,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$64,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$80,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$89,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+0.6%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,600
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Continuous Mining Machine Operator salary by industry
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
12,560 workers
$68,000
Metal Ore Mining
5,970 workers
$69,000
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
4,380 workers
$63,000
Coal Mining
2,200 workers
$75,000
Support Activities for Mining
670 workers
$64,000
Support Activities for Mining
670 workers
$64,000
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
90 workers
$65,000
Administrative and Support Services$58,500
Employment Services$58,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $56,920 to $61,810.
+8.6% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$48,500
Early career25th percentile
$53,500
Median50th percentile
$64,000
Experienced75th percentile
$80,500
Top earners90th percentile
$89,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlEquipment MaintenanceTroubleshootingCritical ThinkingRepairing
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Hang ventilation tubing and ventilation curtains to ensure that the mining face area is kept properly ventilated.
Conduct methane gas checks to ensure breathing quality of air.
Check the stability of roof and rib support systems before mining face areas.
Operate mining machines to gather coal and convey it to floors or shuttle cars.
Drive machines into position at working faces.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$67,500
2027$70,000
2028$72,500
2029$75,000
2030$77,500
2031$80,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
California salary questions
How much does a Continuous Mining Machine Operator make in California?
The average base salary for a Continuous Mining Machine Operator in California is $71,500 per year, or about $34.38 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Continuous Mining Machine Operator salary in California?
The median is $65,000 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $71,500.
What is the typical Continuous Mining Machine Operator salary range in California?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in California is $64,500 to $81,500 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Continuous Mining Machine Operator pay in California compare with the national average?
The California average of $71,500 is $4,000 (5.9%) above the national average of $67,500. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these California salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Continuous Mining Machine Operator pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
