Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

47-5081 Helpers--Extraction Workers

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. Apprentice workers are classified with the appropriate skilled construction trade occupation (47-2011 through 47-2231).

National estimates for Helpers--Extraction Workers
Industry profile for Helpers--Extraction Workers
Geographic profile for Helpers--Extraction Workers

National estimates for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
6,910	7.3 %	$ 21.35	$ 44,410	2.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$ 14.93	$ 17.47	$ 20.73	$ 25.07	$ 28.89
Annual Wage (2)	$ 31,050	$ 36,340	$ 43,110	$ 52,150	$ 60,100

Industry profile for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Helpers--Extraction Workers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Helpers--Extraction Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Mining	3,020	1.22	$ 20.76	$ 43,180
Utility System Construction	1,760	0.31	$ 21.70	$ 45,140
Coal Mining	410	1.04	$ 27.53	$ 57,260
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	340	0.02	$ 18.18	$ 37,820
Other Specialty Trade Contractors	340	0.04	$ 23.85	$ 49,610

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Mining	3,020	1.22	$ 20.76	$ 43,180
Coal Mining	410	1.04	$ 27.53	$ 57,260
Utility System Construction	1,760	0.31	$ 21.70	$ 45,140
Oil and Gas Extraction	270	0.27	$ 18.49	$ 38,460
Metal Ore Mining	70	0.16	$ 20.08	$ 41,770

Top paying industries for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Coal Mining	410	1.04	$ 27.53	$ 57,260
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	150	0.16	$ 24.02	$ 49,960
Other Specialty Trade Contractors	340	0.04	$ 23.85	$ 49,610
Utility System Construction	1,760	0.31	$ 21.70	$ 45,140
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	80	(7)	$ 20.96	$ 43,600

Geographic profile for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Helpers--Extraction Workers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Helpers--Extraction Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Map of employment of helpers--extraction workers by state, May 2022

States with the highest employment level in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Texas	1,050	0.08	1.73	$ 17.58	$ 36,560
New Mexico	670	0.82	17.53	$ 21.04	$ 43,760
Nevada	640	0.46	9.74	$ 19.07	$ 39,670
Arizona	480	0.16	3.42	$ 23.62	$ 49,130
California	450	0.03	0.54	$ 25.93	$ 53,940

Map of location quotient of helpers--extraction workers by state, May 2022

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New Mexico	670	0.82	17.53	$ 21.04	$ 43,760
Alaska	190	0.62	13.20	$ 24.55	$ 51,060
West Virginia	420	0.61	13.09	$ 21.78	$ 45,310
Nevada	640	0.46	9.74	$ 19.07	$ 39,670
Oklahoma	420	0.26	5.60	$ 24.21	$ 50,350

Map of annual mean wages of helpers--extraction workers by state, May 2022

Top paying states for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey	160	0.04	0.85	$ 26.89	$ 55,940
Alabama	50	0.03	0.57	$ 26.38	$ 54,870
California	450	0.03	0.54	$ 25.93	$ 53,940
Idaho	160	0.20	4.38	$ 25.19	$ 52,390
Kentucky	180	0.10	2.04	$ 24.74	$ 51,460

Map of employment of helpers--extraction workers by area, May 2022

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	120	0.01	0.29	$ 27.05	$ 56,260
Midland, TX	100	0.95	20.42	$ 19.73	$ 41,030
Odessa, TX	70	1.02	21.73	$ 19.83	$ 41,240
Farmington, NM	50	1.16	24.76	$ 23.50	$ 48,870
Provo-Orem, UT	50	0.17	3.61	$ 21.73	$ 45,190
Reno, NV	40	0.16	3.48	$ 19.70	$ 40,970
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	40	0.02	0.33	$ 17.45	$ 36,290
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	40	0.01	0.29	$ 23.65	$ 49,190
Birmingham-Hoover, AL	40	0.07	1.57	$ 26.26	$ 54,620
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	30	0.12	2.54	$ 15.17	$ 31,560

Map of location quotient of helpers--extraction workers by area, May 2022

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Farmington, NM	50	1.16	24.76	$ 23.50	$ 48,870
Odessa, TX	70	1.02	21.73	$ 19.83	$ 41,240
Midland, TX	100	0.95	20.42	$ 19.73	$ 41,030
Provo-Orem, UT	50	0.17	3.61	$ 21.73	$ 45,190
Reno, NV	40	0.16	3.48	$ 19.70	$ 40,970
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	30	0.12	2.54	$ 15.17	$ 31,560
Birmingham-Hoover, AL	40	0.07	1.57	$ 26.26	$ 54,620
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	30	0.02	0.50	$ 17.13	$ 35,630
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	40	0.02	0.33	$ 17.45	$ 36,290
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	40	0.01	0.29	$ 23.65	$ 49,190

Map of annual mean wages of helpers--extraction workers by area, May 2022

Top paying metropolitan areas for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	120	0.01	0.29	$ 27.05	$ 56,260
Birmingham-Hoover, AL	40	0.07	1.57	$ 26.26	$ 54,620
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	40	0.01	0.29	$ 23.65	$ 49,190
Farmington, NM	50	1.16	24.76	$ 23.50	$ 48,870
Provo-Orem, UT	50	0.17	3.61	$ 21.73	$ 45,190
Salt Lake City, UT	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 20.00	$ 41,610
Odessa, TX	70	1.02	21.73	$ 19.83	$ 41,240
Midland, TX	100	0.95	20.42	$ 19.73	$ 41,030
Reno, NV	40	0.16	3.48	$ 19.70	$ 40,970
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	40	0.02	0.33	$ 17.45	$ 36,290

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area	560	5.60	119.77	$ 18.90	$ 39,320
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area	330	2.12	45.39	$ 20.54	$ 42,730
Alaska nonmetropolitan area	120	1.21	25.98	$ 26.15	$ 54,390
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area	90	1.30	27.80	$ 23.11	$ 48,070
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area	90	0.46	9.76	$ 14.54	$ 30,240

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area	560	5.60	119.77	$ 18.90	$ 39,320
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area	330	2.12	45.39	$ 20.54	$ 42,730
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area	90	1.30	27.80	$ 23.11	$ 48,070
Alaska nonmetropolitan area	120	1.21	25.98	$ 26.15	$ 54,390
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area	50	0.74	15.75	$ 23.43	$ 48,740

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Helpers--Extraction Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area	120	1.21	25.98	$ 26.15	$ 54,390
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area	60	0.43	9.16	$ 24.29	$ 50,530
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area	50	0.74	15.75	$ 23.43	$ 48,740
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 23.31	$ 48,480
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area	90	1.30	27.80	$ 23.11	$ 48,070

About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.

(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023