# Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

> Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.

- **SOC code:** 47-5022.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5022-00
- **Also known as:** Dragline Oiler, Dragline Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator, Loader Operator, Backhoe Operator, Equipment Operator, Excavator Operator, Pit Operator
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- 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.
- Receive written or oral instructions regarding material movement or excavation.
- Direct workers engaged in placing blocks or outriggers to prevent capsizing of machines when lifting heavy loads.
- Move materials over short distances, such as around a construction site, factory, or warehouse.
- Measure and verify levels of rock or gravel, bases, or other excavated material.
- Create or maintain inclines or ramps.
- Lubricate, adjust, or repair machinery and replace parts, such as gears, bearings, or bucket teeth.
- Direct ground workers engaged in activities such as moving stakes or markers, or changing positions of towers.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Operation and Control _(transferable_skill)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Depth Perception _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Reaction Time _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Response Orientation _(ability)_
- Rate Control _(ability)_
- Far Vision _(ability)_
- Operations Monitoring _(transferable_skill)_
- Spatial Orientation _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- 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)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Email software
- Google Gmail
- Machine control systems
- Machine monitoring software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 13th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 3rd percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 30th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -0.4% growth (Declining); 3.1k annual openings; 35.8k → 35.6k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $52,550; 34,210 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5022-00_