Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 47-5081

Helpers--Extraction Workers

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Construction and Extraction Occupations (neighbors include Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other, First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Helpers--Extraction Workers: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($63K) , Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other ($70K) , First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($80K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Helpers--Extraction Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-5081 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Provide assistance to extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers and derrick operators
  2. 2. Observe and monitor equipment operation during the extraction process to detect any problems
  3. 3. Drive moving equipment to transport materials and parts to excavation sites
  4. 4. Unload materials, devices, and machine parts, using hand tools
  5. 5. Set up and adjust equipment used to excavate geological materials
  6. 6. Organize materials to prepare for use
  7. 7. Repair and maintain automotive and drilling equipment, using hand tools
  8. 8. Collect and examine geological matter, using hand tools and testing devices
  9. 9. Signal workers to start geological material extraction or boring
  10. 10. Clean up work areas and remove debris after extraction activities are complete
  11. 11. Dismantle extracting and boring equipment used for excavation, using hand tools
  12. 12. Clean and prepare sites for excavation or boring

Helpers--Extraction Workers: O*NET ranks Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-5081 - lead skill Monitoring at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Monitoring 3.8
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  3. 3. Operation and Control 3.5
  4. 4. Equipment Maintenance 3.5
  5. 5. Troubleshooting 3.4
  6. 6. Repairing 3.4
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.1
  8. 8. Coordination 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.0
  2. 2. English Language 3.5
  3. 3. Transportation 3.3
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.0
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.9
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 2.9
Pay vs Construction and Extraction Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $73,300
This role $47,730/yr
$48K
National median
↓ -2%
Growth 2024-2034
700
Annual openings
6,700
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Helpers--Extraction Workers

1. Kentucky $68,020
2. California $51,720
3. New Jersey $53,820
4. New Hampshire $54,700
5. West Virginia $77,180
6. Utah $55,490
7. Maryland $51,020
8. New York $54,910
9. Wyoming $55,240
10. New Mexico $54,840

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  2. 2. Structural Iron and Steel Workers $62,780
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
  4. 4. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  5. 5. Construction and Building Inspectors $74,690
  6. 6. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500

Among Construction and Extraction Occupations peers on this card, Helpers--Extraction Workers sits 35% below the mid peer median ($73,300). Its own median is $47,730.

Employment Projections expect -2% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Kentucky at $68,020. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Helpers--Extraction Workers pay-rank #51 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

On the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table (60 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Helpers--Extraction Workers lands at #51, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-5081 · national median $47,730 · lower third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#51/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Helpers--Extraction Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-5081

Kentucky · top state for Helpers--Extraction Workers

$68K published median

California · #2 state pay

$52K · behind Kentucky

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Helpers--Extraction Workers · $110K

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Helpers--Extraction Workers · $63K

Compare Helpers--Extraction Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Helpers--Extraction Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Helpers--Extraction Workers

Against another occupation

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Helpers--Extraction Workers land on the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table? ▼
Helpers--Extraction Workers is pay-rank #51 of 60 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters ($48K), Fence Erectors ($48K), Construction Laborers ($47K), Roustabouts, Oil and Gas ($47K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do helpers--extraction workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Helpers--Extraction Workers. Leading ones include: Provide assistance to extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers and derrick operators; Observe and monitor equipment operation during the extraction process to detect any problems; Drive moving equipment to transport materials and parts to excavation sites; Unload materials, devices, and machine parts, using hand tools. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for helpers--extraction workers? ▼
For SOC 47-5081, O*NET importance scores lead with Monitoring (3.8), Operations Monitoring (3.6), Operation and Control (3.5), Equipment Maintenance (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, English Language, Transportation. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Helpers--Extraction Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $47,730 as the national median for Helpers--Extraction Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $36,960 to $68,020. Beside Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($109,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Helpers--Extraction Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Helpers--Extraction Workers is -2%. Projected annual openings: about 700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Helpers--Extraction Workers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Helpers--Extraction Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Helpers--Extraction Workers? ▼
Kentucky ($68,020), California ($51,720), New Jersey ($53,820) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Helpers--Extraction Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-5081. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Helpers--Extraction Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics