Packers & Packagers, Hand vs Mining Machine Operators
Median pay is about $38k higher for Mining Machine Operators. Both usually start with the same education: no formal credential.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Packers & Packagers, Hand | Mining Machine Operators |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $36,280 | $74,500, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $32,220 | $61,410, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $43,060 | $79,150, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | -5.0% Declining, higher | -16% Declining |
| Openings a year | 61,800 | 400 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | No formal credential | No formal credential |
| Difficulty modeled | 1.4 / 5 | 2.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 30th pct | 43rd pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: monitoring, active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, active learning.
More comparisons
Compare Packers & Packagers, Hand with
Compare Mining Machine Operators with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.