Career profile for Mining Roof Bolter

What does a Mining Roof Bolter do?

Mining Roof Bolters operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.

What kind of tasks does a Mining Roof Bolter perform regularly?

Mining Roof Bolters are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Drill bolt holes into roofs at specified distances from ribs or adjacent bolts.
Pull down loose rock that cannot be supported.
Position bolting machines, and insert drill bits into chucks.
Perform safety checks on equipment before operating.
Perform tests to determine if methane gas is present.
Force bolts into holes, using hydraulic mechanisms of self-propelled bolting machines.
Perform ventilation tasks, such as hanging ventilation curtains and tubes.
Dust rocks after bolting.
Install various types of bolts, including truss, glue, and resin bolts, traversing entire ceiling spans.
Drill test holes and test bolts for specified tension, using torque wrenches.
Position safety jacks to support underground mine roofs until bolts can be installed.
Rotate chucks to turn bolts and open expansion heads against rock formations.
Remove drill bits from chucks after drilling holes, and insert bolts into chucks.
Tighten ends of anchored truss bolts, using turnbuckles.

The above responsibilities are specific to Mining Roof Bolters. More generally, Mining Roof Bolters are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment		Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Controlling Machines and Processes		Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings		Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events		Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Controlling Machines and Processes

Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

What is a Mining Roof Bolter salary?

The median salary for a Mining Roof Bolter is $61,190, and the average salary is $61,900. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Mining Roof Bolter salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Mining Roof Bolters earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Mining Roof Bolters earn less than $45,250 per year, 25% earn less than $54,220, 75% earn less than $70,330, and 90% earn less than $80,580.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Mining Roof Bolters is expected to change by -9.5%, and there should be roughly 200 open positions for Mining Roof Bolters every year.

Median annual salary: $61,190
Typical salary range: $45,250 - $80,580
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): -9.5%

What personality traits are common among Mining Roof Bolters?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Mining Roof Bolter are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Mining Roof Bolters typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Mining Roof Bolter tend to value Support, Relationships, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Mining Roof Bolters very strongly value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Mining Roof Bolters moderately value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Lastly, Mining Roof Bolters somewhat value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Mining Roof Bolters must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, attention to detail, and cooperation.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Mining Roof Bolters, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Concern for Others		Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Concern for Others

Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

What education and training do Mining Roof Bolters need?

Working as a Mining Roof Bolter usually requires a high school diploma.

Mining Roof Bolters need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Mining Roof Bolters

11.3% did not complete high school or secondary school
53.8% completed high school or secondary school
23.2% completed some college coursework
6.3% earned a Associate's degree
5.0% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.4% earned a Master's degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Mining Roof Bolters

Mining Roof Bolters may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as production and processing, education and training, or mechanical knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Mining Roof Bolters might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Production and Processing		Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Public Safety and Security		Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Important Abilities needed by Mining Roof Bolters

Mining Roof Bolters must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Mining Roof Bolters need abilities such as control precision, arm-hand steadiness, and manual dexterity in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Mining Roof Bolters, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Control Precision		The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Extent Flexibility		The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Problem Sensitivity		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Control Precision

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Extent Flexibility

The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Critical Skills needed by Mining Roof Bolters

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Mining Roof Bolters frequently use skills like operation and control, critical thinking, and monitoring to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Mining Roof Bolters, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Operation and Control		Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operations Monitoring		Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Troubleshooting		Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Mining Roof Bolter

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