Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.0), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.0). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

How AI is actually used in this job

Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Tasks

All 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

• Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes. Core · importance 4.6
• Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation. Core · importance 4.6
• Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application. Core · importance 4.4
• Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications. Core · importance 4.4
• Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads. Core · importance 4.2
• Receive written or oral instructions regarding material movement or excavation. Core · importance 4.0
• Direct workers engaged in placing blocks or outriggers to prevent capsizing of machines when lifting heavy loads. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Move materials over short distances, such as around a construction site, factory, or warehouse. Core · importance 4.0
• Measure and verify levels of rock or gravel, bases, or other excavated material. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Create or maintain inclines or ramps. Core · importance 3.9
• Lubricate, adjust, or repair machinery and replace parts, such as gears, bearings, or bucket teeth. Core · importance 3.9
• Direct ground workers engaged in activities such as moving stakes or markers, or changing positions of towers. Supplemental · importance 3.8
• Adjust dig face angles for varying overburden depths and set lengths. Supplemental · importance 3.7
• Handle slides, mud, or pit cleanings or maintenance. Core · importance 3.7
• Drive machines to work sites. Supplemental · importance 3.7
• Perform manual labor to prepare or finish sites, such as shoveling materials by hand. Supplemental · importance 3.5

Work activities

• Operate excavation equipment.
• Inspect material-moving equipment to detect problems.
• Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
• Maintain professional knowledge or certifications.
• Maintain material moving equipment in good working condition.
• Move materials, equipment, or supplies.
• Measure product or material dimensions.
• Verify information or specifications.
• Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
• Shovel materials.
• Direct material handling or moving activities.
• Assemble temporary equipment or structures.
• Maintain work equipment or machinery.
• Clean facilities or work areas.

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Transferable skills

Abilities

Knowledge

Essential skills

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

• Depth Perception Common Skill
• Finger Dexterity Common Skill
• Speech Recognition Specialized Skill
• Visualization Specialized Skill
• Time Management Common Skill
• Social Perceptiveness Common Skill
• Reading Comprehension Common Skill
• Microsoft Word Common Skill
• Microsoft Windows Common Skill
• Microsoft PowerPoint Common Skill
• Microsoft Outlook Common Skill
• Microsoft Excel Common Skill
• Inductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Equipment Selection Specialized Skill
• Equipment Maintenance Specialized Skill
• Deductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Critical Thinking Common Skill
• Complex Problem Solving Common Skill
• Active Listening Common Skill
• Active Learning Common Skill
• Information Ordering Specialized Skill
• English Language Common Skill
• Mathematics Common Skill
• Writing Common Skill
• Instructing Specialized Skill
• Negotiation Common Skill
• Learning Strategies Specialized Skill
• Systems Analysis Specialized Skill
• Email Software Specialized Skill
• Physics Specialized Skill
• Chemistry Specialized Skill
• Psychology Specialized Skill
• Telecommunications Specialized Skill
• Installation Specialized Skill
• Geography Specialized Skill
• Foreign Language Common Skill
• Biology Specialized Skill
• Presentation Software Specialized Skill
• Industrial Control Software Specialized Skill

Tools & technology

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

How to get in

Job zone

Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Education

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Typical entry-level education

High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement

Related experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Preparation level

SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Transportation and Materials Moving . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Interest areas

Work styles

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Related occupations

Part of the Construction and Energy & Natural Resources career clusters.

• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators · 47-2073.00 Compare →
• Construction Laborers · 47-2061.00 Compare →
• Hoist and Winch Operators · 53-7041.00 Compare →
• Continuous Mining Machine Operators · 47-5041.00 Compare →
• Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines · 49-3042.00 Compare →
• Crane and Tower Operators · 53-7021.00 Compare →
• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators · 53-7051.00 Compare →
• Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining · 47-5044.00 Compare →
• Pile Driver Operators · 47-2072.00 Compare →
• Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas · 47-5023.00 Compare →
• Helpers--Extraction Workers · 47-5081.00 Compare →
• Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators · 47-2071.00 Compare →

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
• Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-role-47-5022-00,
  title  = {Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5022-00}
}