Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Helpers--Extraction Workers
Occupation · SOC 47-5081.00
Help extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying equipment or cleaning work area.
Also called: Driller Helper · Driller's Assistant · Miner Helper · Powderman · Continuous Miner Operator Helper · Longwall Machine Operator Helper · Salt Miner · Blaster Helper · Blasting Helper · Boring Machine Operator Helper · Bottom Hole Pressure Recording Operator Helper · Churn Driller Helper
Job family: Construction and Extraction Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-47-5081-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-1.7% by 2034)
- 700 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $48,400/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
1st-percentile task overlap — yet about 700 openings a year (-1.7% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
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.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 5th | -1.5 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 3rd | 0.0 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 4th | 0.0 |
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.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.4 · 42nd percentile among occupations · Moderate
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -1.7% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 700 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 7,000 → 6,900 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Helpers--Extraction Workers sits at the 4th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
11% mean task exposure (2025)
4th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−2 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Mining and Quarrying Labourers · 9311 | 11% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Provide assistance to extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers and derrick operators. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Observe and monitor equipment operation during the extraction process to detect any problems. Core · importance 4.3
- Drive moving equipment to transport materials and parts to excavation sites. Core · importance 4.1
- Unload materials, devices, and machine parts, using hand tools. Core · importance 4.0
- Set up and adjust equipment used to excavate geological materials. Core · importance 3.9
- Organize materials to prepare for use. Core · importance 3.9
- Repair and maintain automotive and drilling equipment, using hand tools. Core · importance 3.9
- Collect and examine geological matter, using hand tools and testing devices. Supplemental · importance 3.8
- Signal workers to start geological material extraction or boring. Supplemental · importance 3.8
- Clean up work areas and remove debris after extraction activities are complete. Core · importance 3.8
- Dismantle extracting and boring equipment used for excavation, using hand tools. Supplemental · importance 3.7
- Clean and prepare sites for excavation or boring. Core · importance 3.6
- Load materials into well holes or into equipment, using hand tools. Core · importance 3.5
- Dig trenches. Supplemental · importance 3.4
Work activities
- Maintain drilling equipment.
- Monitor extraction operations.
- Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
- Clean work sites.
- Select construction materials.
- Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel.
- Dismantle equipment or temporary structures.
- Load or unload materials used in construction or extraction.
- Load materials into construction equipment.
- Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
- Prepare excavation or extraction sites for commissioning or decommissioning.
- Operate mining equipment.
- Collect geological samples.
- Dig holes or trenches.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Mechanical | 4.0 | |
| English Language | 3.5 | |
| Transportation | 3.3 | |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
Abilities
| Manual Dexterity | 4.0 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.9 | |
| Control Precision | 3.8 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.8 | |
| Reaction Time | 3.8 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.6 | |
| Static Strength | 3.6 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Far Vision | 3.6 | |
| Trunk Strength | 3.5 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.4 | |
| Rate Control | 3.4 | |
| Depth Perception | 3.4 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.3 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.3 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.1 | |
| Visualization | 3.1 | |
| Response Orientation | 3.1 | |
| Stamina | 3.1 | |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.1 | |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.1 | |
| Auditory Attention | 3.1 |
Essential skills
| Monitoring | 3.8 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 | |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.5 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.5 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.4 | |
| Repairing | 3.4 | |
| Coordination | 3.1 | |
| Equipment Selection | 3.1 | |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Google Docs | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot 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.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 96.6% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 1.7% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.7% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 7.0 | |
| Conventional | 3.7 | |
| Investigative | 2.1 | |
| Social | 1.8 | |
| Enterprising | 1.6 |
Interest areas
| Physical/Manual Labor | 6.8 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 4.5 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 3.3 | |
| Engineering | 2.4 | |
| Nature/Outdoors | 1.5 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 1.4 | |
| Construction/Woodwork | 1.3 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 2.2 | |
| Cautiousness | 1.8 | |
| Attention to Detail | 1.7 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 1.4 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $35,770 |
| 25th percentile | $39,980 |
| Median (50th) | $48,400 |
| 75th percentile | $57,560 |
| 90th percentile | $68,240 |
| People employed | 6,720 |
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.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector | 4,050 | $50,050 |
| Construction · Sector | 2,170 | $47,020 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 180 | $43,270 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 120 | $42,870 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services · National industry | 70 | $39,260 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | — | $39,540 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | — | $42,920 |
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).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector | 162.04× | 4,050 |
| Construction · Sector | 6.13× | 2,170 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 3.57× | 180 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 0.3× | 120 |
Related occupations
Part of the Energy & Natural Resources career cluster.
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers · 49-9098.00 Compare →
- Helpers--Production Workers · 51-9198.00 Compare →
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · 47-5012.00 Compare →
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas · 47-5023.00 Compare →
- Helpers--Carpenters · 47-3012.00 Compare →
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · 47-3015.00 Compare →
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators · 47-5041.00 Compare →
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining · 47-5022.00 Compare →
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons · 47-3014.00 Compare →
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters · 47-3011.00 Compare →
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas · 47-5071.00 Compare →
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators · 47-2073.00 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 Helpers--Extraction Workers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 4th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Helpers--Extraction Workers show 1st-percentile AI task overlap — and about 700 annual U.S. openings
- Helpers--Extraction Workers rank in the 1st percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 700 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-1.7%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $48,400, across about 6,720 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Helpers--Extraction Workers show 1st-percentile AI task overlap — and about 700 annual U.S. openings • Helpers--Extraction Workers rank in the 1st percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 700 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-1.7%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $48,400, across about 6,720 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Helpers--Extraction Workers". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5081-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
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
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Helpers--Extraction Workers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5081-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Helpers--Extraction Workers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5081-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-47-5081-00,
title = {Helpers--Extraction Workers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5081-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.