# Roof Bolters, Mining

> Operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.

- **SOC code:** 47-5043.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5043-00
- **Also known as:** Bolter, Roof Bolter, Roof Bolter Operator, Underground Roof Bolter, Bolt Machine Operator, Bolt Man, Miner, Place Change Roof Bolter
- **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):
- Drill bolt holes into roofs at specified distances from ribs or adjacent bolts.
- Pull down loose rock that cannot be supported.
- Position bolting machines, and insert drill bits into chucks.
- Perform safety checks on equipment before operating.
- Perform tests to determine if methane gas is present.
- Perform ventilation tasks, such as hanging ventilation curtains and tubes.
- Force bolts into holes, using hydraulic mechanisms of self-propelled bolting machines.
- Dust rocks after bolting.
- Install various types of bolts, including truss, glue, and resin bolts, traversing entire ceiling spans.
- Drill test holes and test bolts for specified tension, using torque wrenches.
- Position safety jacks to support underground mine roofs until bolts can be installed.
- Rotate chucks to turn bolts and open expansion heads against rock formations.

**Emerging tasks** (O*NET):
- Check roof or ribs for hazardous conditions.
- Clean equipment, such as dust collectors.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Extent Flexibility _(ability)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Reaction Time _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Depth Perception _(ability)_
- Production and Processing _(knowledge)_
- Operation and Control _(transferable_skill)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Depth Perception _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Equipment Maintenance _(Specialized Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- Social Perceptiveness _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Caterpillar Cat MineStar System
- Caterpillar Command

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 3rd 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):** 10th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -34.2% growth (Declining); 0.1k annual openings; 2.3k → 1.5k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $76,640; 2,230 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/
- **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-47-5043-00_