The U.S. Department of Labor has developed an automated occupational information database, O*NET, that identifies and describes work content, work skills, and training requirements for all jobs across the country in all sectors of the economy. Much of the occupational information contained in this report is derived directly from the O*NET database, and supplemented with information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Labor Market and Career Information.
| Industry | % of Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining employed | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying | 35.4 | -0.24 |
| Other specialty trade contractors | 13.6 | -0.20 |
| Coal mining | 8.5 | -5.83 |
| Utility system construction | 6.4 | 0.43 |
| Highway, street, and bridge construction | 5.2 | 0.00 |
| Metal ore mining | 2.1 | 0.00 |
| 2024 Statewide average hourly wage | $24.32 |
| 2024 National average hourly wage | $27.82 |
| 2022 National employment | 36,400 |
| 2022 Texas employment | 6,356 |
| Texas projected employment by 2032 | 6,971 |
| Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 | 727 |
| Region | Employment | Projected Employment 2032 | Projected Annual Openings 2032 |
Annual Growth Rate |
Average Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (all regions) | 6,356 | 6,971 | 727 | 0.93% | $50,581.00 |
| Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
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| Building and Construction Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. |
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| Public Safety and Security Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
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| English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
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| Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
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| Design Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. |
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| Administration and Management Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
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| Transportation Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. |
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| Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
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| Education and Training Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
| Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control Controlling operations of equipment or systems. |
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| Operations Monitoring Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
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| Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
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| Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
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| Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
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| Persuasion Persuading others to change their minds or behavior. |
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| Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
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| Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
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| Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
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| Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Top 10 Relevant Abilities | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Control Precision The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. |
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| Multilimb Coordination The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. |
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| Depth Perception The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object. |
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| Reaction Time The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears. |
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| Manual Dexterity The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
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| Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. |
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| Response Orientation The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part. |
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| Rate Control The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene. |
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| Far Vision The ability to see details at a distance. |
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| Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |