How To Become A Coal Miner: What It Is and Career Path

What is a coal miner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The job of a coal miner is to extract coal from either surface mines or underground mines. They do this through a variety of methods, which may involve operating heavy machinery, specialized tools, and even explosives. Some coal miners specialize in these different types of extraction through additional training and extensive experience.

At the basic level, the job duties of a coal miner are to mine ore, coals, or rocks, operate explosives, build supportive entryways for transportation, move mining equipment from one area to another, and transport mined coal to designated areas on the mining site.

To become a coal miner, one must have at least a high school diploma or GED. Moreover, they must complete a specialized training and apprenticeship program before becoming a miner. The minimum hours of apprenticeship requirements vary by state, but in general, an aspiring coal miner must complete at least forty hours of classroom instruction and six months of on-the-job training. Since this is a physically-demanding job, a coal miner must also be physically fit and have a good amount of strength, endurance, and dexterity.

On average, a coal miner can earn around $15 an hour or about $30,700 a year on top of benefits and possibly bonuses.

ScoreCoal MinerUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,242

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.09%

Asian 0.67%

Black or African American 4.85%

Hispanic or Latino 9.13%

Unknown 3.86%

White 79.40%

Gender

female 3.82%

male 96.18%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

8.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.0

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a coal miner

Explore coal miner education requirements

Most common coal miner degrees

High School Diploma

56.3 %

Associate

15.6 %

Diploma

9.1 %

Start to develop specific coal miner skills

Skills	Percentages
Safety Regulations	27.28%
Out-By	11.25%
Scoops	8.11%
MSHA	6.58%
Water Pumps	4.29%

Complete relevant coal miner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New coal miners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a coal miner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real coal miner resumes.

Research coal miner duties and responsibilities

Operate and maintain the concrete plant and manage formulation of shotcrete and concrete batches.
Work on longwall, operate battery scoop, shield mover/supply man, operate diesel scoop and ram car.
Tighten ends of anchor truss bolts, using turnbuckles
Certify by as MSHA as an apprentice coal miner.

Prepare your coal miner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your coal miner resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a coal miner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Coal Miner Resume templates

Build a professional Coal Miner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Coal Miner resume.

Apply for coal miner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a coal miner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do coal miners rate their job?