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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
16,700 5.7 % $18.46 $38,390 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.64 $14.97 $17.85 $21.76 $26.07
Annual Wage (2) $26,300 $31,130 $37,120 $45,260 $54,230


Industry profile for this occupation:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Mining 9,960 2.85 $18.30 $38,060
Utility System Construction 2,940 0.52 $17.90 $37,230
Coal Mining 950 1.88 $22.33 $46,450
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 510 0.07 $16.37 $34,040
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 410 0.40 $21.02 $43,720

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Mining 9,960 2.85 $18.30 $38,060
Coal Mining 950 1.88 $22.33 $46,450
Metal Ore Mining 310 0.74 $19.18 $39,900
Utility System Construction 2,940 0.52 $17.90 $37,230
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 410 0.40 $21.02 $43,720

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Coal Mining 950 1.88 $22.33 $46,450
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 410 0.40 $21.02 $43,720
Oil and Gas Extraction 400 0.28 $20.91 $43,480
Metal Ore Mining 310 0.74 $19.18 $39,900
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 40 0.04 $19.06 $39,650


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,040 0.57 4.98 $17.27 $35,920
California 1,100 0.06 0.56 $20.66 $42,960
Kentucky 630 0.33 2.92 $19.40 $40,360
Oklahoma 600 0.37 3.27 $20.68 $43,010
Arizona 590 0.20 1.80 $19.16 $39,850




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 530 1.93 16.99 $19.03 $39,590
Texas 7,040 0.57 4.98 $17.27 $35,920
Alaska 130 0.42 3.73 $20.96 $43,590
Nevada 560 0.40 3.55 $19.62 $40,810
Oklahoma 600 0.37 3.27 $20.68 $43,010




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alabama 260 0.13 1.15 $27.18 $56,530
Illinois 160 0.03 0.23 $22.28 $46,330
West Virginia (8) (8) (8) $21.32 $44,350
Massachusetts 80 0.02 0.20 $20.96 $43,600
Alaska 130 0.42 3.73 $20.96 $43,590





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 710 0.19 1.70 $16.59 $34,510
Midland, TX 610 5.50 48.39 $17.21 $35,810
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 490 0.23 2.02 $19.41 $40,380
Odessa, TX 470 5.82 51.19 $19.37 $40,280
Greeley, CO 370 3.46 30.44 $17.49 $36,380
Tyler, TX 300 2.90 25.52 $20.89 $43,450
Corpus Christi, TX 300 1.58 13.86 $17.25 $35,870
Wheeling, WV-OH 270 4.21 37.04 $25.63 $53,310
Bakersfield, CA 240 0.77 6.80 $22.56 $46,930
Lafayette, LA 230 1.14 10.05 $16.83 $35,000




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Odessa, TX 470 5.82 51.19 $19.37 $40,280
Midland, TX 610 5.50 48.39 $17.21 $35,810
Wheeling, WV-OH 270 4.21 37.04 $25.63 $53,310
Greeley, CO 370 3.46 30.44 $17.49 $36,380
Tyler, TX 300 2.90 25.52 $20.89 $43,450
Corpus Christi, TX 300 1.58 13.86 $17.25 $35,870
Lafayette, LA 230 1.14 10.05 $16.83 $35,000
Bakersfield, CA 240 0.77 6.80 $22.56 $46,930
Abilene, TX 50 0.77 6.78 $15.25 $31,720
College Station-Bryan, TX 70 0.61 5.36 $13.45 $27,990




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wheeling, WV-OH 270 4.21 37.04 $25.63 $53,310
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 30 0.10 0.85 $25.50 $53,030
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA (8) (8) (8) $23.38 $48,630
Bakersfield, CA 240 0.77 6.80 $22.56 $46,930
St. Louis, MO-IL 30 0.02 0.21 $21.29 $44,290
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 180 0.03 0.26 $20.97 $43,620
Tyler, TX 300 2.90 25.52 $20.89 $43,450
Syracuse, NY (8) (8) (8) $20.55 $42,740
Duluth, MN-WI 40 0.29 2.59 $20.31 $42,240
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 40 0.03 0.28 $19.49 $40,540

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 530 5.42 47.65 $19.63 $40,830
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 400 2.66 23.37 $14.94 $31,070
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 350 3.52 31.00 $17.87 $37,170
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 290 1.92 16.88 $23.44 $48,760
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 190 0.68 6.01 $16.73 $34,800

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 530 5.42 47.65 $19.63 $40,830
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 350 3.52 31.00 $17.87 $37,170
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 400 2.66 23.37 $14.94 $31,070
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 290 1.92 16.88 $23.44 $48,760
Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 60 1.03 9.07 $14.53 $30,230

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 290 1.92 16.88 $23.44 $48,760
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 30 0.27 2.40 $22.43 $46,650
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $21.68 $45,090
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.03 9.07 $20.88 $43,430
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 530 5.42 47.65 $19.63 $40,830


About May 2019 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.

(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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020