Roof Bolters, Mining
Roof Bolters, Mining (SOC 47-5043) earn a median $78,540 a year ($37.76 an hour) in the United States, with 2,160 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Wyoming.
What roof bolters, mining do
Roof bolters operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mines. The operator positions the bolting machine, inserts drill bits into the chucks, drills bolt holes in the roof at specified distances from the ribs and from adjacent bolts, and forces the bolts into the holes using the hydraulic mechanisms of a self-propelled bolting machine. Before operating, they perform safety checks on the equipment and tests to determine whether methane gas is present. They also pull down loose rock that cannot be supported, dust the rock after bolting, and perform ventilation tasks such as hanging ventilation curtains and tubes. The job is narrower than underground mining machine operators in general (47-5049) and differs from the machine operators who cut or haul material (47-5041, 47-5044). Bolting machine operator and roof bolter operator are among the listed titles.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Bolt Machine Operator, Bolt Man, Bolter, Bolting Inspector, Bolting Machine Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $30.65 | $34.32 | $37.76 | $39.36 | $44.63 | $37.55 | 2,160 |
| Annual | $63,750 | $71,390 | $78,540 | $81,860 | $92,830 | $78,100 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where roof bolters, mining earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $53.83 | $55.50 | $56.04 | $56.04 | $56.04 | $55.34 | 100 | 0.36 | 26.23 |
| Annual | $111,970 | $115,440 | $116,570 | $116,570 | $116,570 | $115,100 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $37.76 | $38.13 | $39.36 | $39.36 | $40.34 | $39.51 | 200 | 0.03 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $78,540 | $79,300 | $81,860 | $81,860 | $83,900 | $82,170 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $38.32 | $38.32 | $39.07 | $41.53 | $41.53 | $39.44 | 40 | 0.02 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $79,700 | $79,700 | $81,270 | $86,380 | $86,380 | $82,040 | ||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $30.69 | $34.02 | $38.17 | $39.35 | $43.62 | $37.22 | 970 | 1.39 | 99.77 |
| Annual | $63,820 | $70,760 | $79,400 | $81,850 | $90,720 | $77,410 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $34.32 | $37.26 | $37.62 | $46.80 | $47.92 | $40.04 | 110 | 0.03 | 1.84 |
| Annual | $71,390 | $77,500 | $78,260 | $97,340 | $99,680 | $83,290 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $30.69 | $34.02 | $38.17 | $39.35 | $43.62 | $37.22 | 970 | 1.39 | 99.77 |
| Annual | $63,820 | $70,760 | $79,400 | $81,850 | $90,720 | $77,410 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $37.76 | $38.13 | $39.36 | $39.36 | $40.34 | $39.51 | 200 | 0.03 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $78,540 | $79,300 | $81,860 | $81,860 | $83,900 | $82,170 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $34.39 | $34.83 | $34.86 | $34.87 | $34.87 | $34.65 | 120 | 0.06 | 4.41 |
| Annual | $71,540 | $72,440 | $72,510 | $72,540 | $72,540 | $72,060 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $34.32 | $37.26 | $37.62 | $46.80 | $47.92 | $40.04 | 110 | 0.03 | 1.84 |
| Annual | $71,390 | $77,500 | $78,260 | $97,340 | $99,680 | $83,290 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $53.83 | $55.50 | $56.04 | $56.04 | $56.04 | $55.34 | 100 | 0.36 | 26.23 |
| Annual | $111,970 | $115,440 | $116,570 | $116,570 | $116,570 | $115,100 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Beckley, WV | Hourly | $30.41 | $30.89 | $37.46 | $37.97 | $39.35 | $35.46 | 190 | 4.35 | 313.48 |
| Annual | $63,250 | $64,250 | $77,920 | $78,980 | $81,850 | $73,750 | ||||
| Wheeling, WV-OH | Hourly | $31.92 | $31.92 | $32.02 | $39.93 | $40.70 | $35.92 | 120 | 2.13 | 153.72 |
| Annual | $66,380 | $66,380 | $66,610 | $83,050 | $84,650 | $74,720 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Beckley, WV | Hourly | $30.41 | $30.89 | $37.46 | $37.97 | $39.35 | $35.46 | 190 | 4.35 | 313.48 |
| Annual | $63,250 | $64,250 | $77,920 | $78,980 | $81,850 | $73,750 | ||||
| Wheeling, WV-OH | Hourly | $31.92 | $31.92 | $32.02 | $39.93 | $40.70 | $35.92 | 120 | 2.13 | 153.72 |
| Annual | $66,380 | $66,380 | $66,610 | $83,050 | $84,650 | $74,720 | ||||
Top industries employing roof bolters, mining
Coal Mining employ 72.7% of roof bolters, mining nationally (1,570 jobs) at a median $78,980 a year ($37.97 an hour), followed by Metal Ore Mining (15.7%) and Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (4.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Mining NAICS 212100 | 1,570 | 72.7% | $78,980 | $37.97 |
| Metal Ore Mining NAICS 212200 | 340 | 15.7% | $75,620 | $36.36 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying NAICS 212300 | 100 | 4.6% | $116,570 | $56.04 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (2,160). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $59,770 for roof bolters, mining in May 2021 and $78,540 in May 2025, with employment of 1,850 and 2,160.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $59,770 | $28.74 | 1,850 |
| May 2022 | $60,210 | $28.95 | 1,700 |
| May 2023 | $66,660 | $32.05 | 1,960 |
| May 2024 | $76,640 | $36.85 | 2,230 |
| May 2025 | $78,540 | $37.76 | 2,160 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
7 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming profile | $56.04 | $116,570 | $111,970 | $116,570 | 100 | 0.36 | 26.23 |
| 2 | Illinois profile | $39.36 | $81,860 | $78,540 | $83,900 | 200 | 0.03 | 2.31 |
| 3 | Colorado profile | $39.07 | $81,270 | $79,700 | $86,380 | 40 | 0.02 | 1.12 |
| 4 | West Virginia profile | $38.17 | $79,400 | $63,820 | $90,720 | 970 | 1.39 | 99.77 |
| 5 | Virginia profile | $37.62 | $78,260 | $71,390 | $99,680 | 110 | 0.03 | 1.84 |
| 6 | Kentucky profile | $34.86 | $72,510 | $71,540 | $72,540 | 120 | 0.06 | 4.41 |
| 7 | Alabama profile | $32.22 | $67,020 | $65,340 | $69,770 | 80 | 0.04 | 2.81 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-5040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-5043 Roof Bolters, Mining.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-5043, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-5043.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.