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The national median salary for Helpers--Extraction Workers is $47,736 per year ($22.95/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $41,434 and $57,907 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $68,016 per year. There are approximately 6,700 helpers--extraction workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-1.7%
Slower than average
Annual openings
700
per year, on avg
Workforce today
7K
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 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Utility System Construction
NAICS 237100
2K
$47,440
Support Activities for Mining
NAICS 213100
2K
$44,700
Coal Mining
NAICS 212100
800
$70,100
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
290
$40,020
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
NAICS 212300
130
$44,630
Wage range across top 5 industries: $40,020 to $70,100 (75% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.77
$36,962
P25
$19.92
$41,434
P50MEDIAN
$22.95
$47,736
P75
$27.84
$57,907
P90
$32.70
$68,016
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 helpers--extraction workers salary?
The national median salary for Helpers--Extraction Workers is $47,736 per year ($22.95/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $41,434 and $57,907 annually.
How much do top-earning helpers--extraction workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Helpers--Extraction Workers is $68,016 per year ($32.70/hr). The 75th percentile is $57,907 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for helpers--extraction workers?
Entry-level Helpers--Extraction Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $36,962 per year ($17.77/hr). The 25th percentile is $41,434 per year.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.