How to become a mining and quarry worker or related operative
Official title: Mining and quarry workers and related operatives
Also called: Quarry man, Quarry master, Pit operative, Quarry worker, Quarry foreman, Quarry operative, Pan man, Pit man, Clay man, Mica man, Mill man, Brow hand
Quarry workers erect supports in underground workings, set and detonate explosives to loosen rocks and set up and operate drilling equipment to extract coal and other minerals from the ground, and operate machinery to wash, crush or separate stone and ores.
Main tasks
- Inspects blasting area, drills shot holes, inserts explosives and detonates charges to loosen large pieces of rock, coal or ore
- Assembles drilling and cutting tools, operates controls to start machines and to regulate the speed and pressure of cutting and drilling
- Erects timber or metal supports to shore up tunnel and assists tunnel miner with the excavation of vertical shafts and underground tunnels
- Operates heading, ripping and cutting-loading machines to remove material from working face and monitors conveyor carrying away loose material
- Conveys goods and materials to and from the workface, loads and unloads mine cars and transfers materials from underground and surface conveyors to bunkers, tubs and rail trucks
- Operates agitators/vibrators to separate minerals and ensures that screened, filtered, crushed and separated material is discharged to appropriate chutes or conveyors
- Performs other mining and quarrying tasks not elsewhere classified including digging clay from open pits, operating high-pressure hoses to wash china clay from open pit faces and otherwise assisting miners
How to become one
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in land drilling operations at level 2 and processing operations (extractive industries) at level 3 are available. There is a minimum age limit of 18 for underground work.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £38,301 a year
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Questions people ask
How do I become a mining and quarry worker or related operative?
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in land drilling operations at level 2 and processing operations (extractive industries) at level 3 are available. There is a minimum age limit of 18 for underground work.
How much does a mining and quarry worker or related operative earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £38,301 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03