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Roof Bolters, Mining Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 47-5043 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$78,541
$37.76/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Roof Bolters, Mining is $78,541 per year ($37.76/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $71,386 and $81,869 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $92,830 per year. There are approximately 2,160 roof bolters, mining employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-34.2%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
100
per year, on avg
Workforce today
2K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 3 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Coal Mining
NAICS 212100
2K$78,980
Metal Ore Mining
NAICS 212200
340$75,620
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
NAICS 212300
100$116,570
Wage range across top 5 industries: $75,620 to $116,570 (54% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$30.65$63,752
P25$34.32$71,386
P50MEDIAN$37.76$78,541
P75$39.36$81,869
P90$44.63$92,830

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%

Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average roof bolters, mining salary?

The national median salary for Roof Bolters, Mining is $78,541 per year ($37.76/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $71,386 and $81,869 annually.

How much do top-earning roof bolters, mining make?

The 90th percentile salary for Roof Bolters, Mining is $92,830 per year ($44.63/hr). The 75th percentile is $81,869 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for roof bolters, mining?

Entry-level Roof Bolters, Mining (10th percentile) earn approximately $63,752 per year ($30.65/hr). The 25th percentile is $71,386 per year.

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Roof Bolters, Mining Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
West Virginia970 workersIllinois200 workersKentucky120 workersVirginia110 workersWyoming100 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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