SOC 2020 · 8132
Mining and quarry workers and related operatives
Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations from
Skilled Worker
Not eligible
No Skilled Worker route through this code.
Salary floor
£41,700
The higher of the going rate and the general threshold.
Shortage lists
Not listed
This code is on neither the Immigration Salary List nor the Temporary Shortage List.
What this occupation actually pays
ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, full-time gross annual pay.
ONS has not published enough of the pay distribution for Mining and quarry workers and related operatives in UK to draw it. The figures we do hold are shown above.
| Region | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 2025 | — | — | £38,301 | — | — |
| East 2025 | — | — | £34,952 | — | — |
| North West 2025 | — | — | £34,080 | — | — |
| Scotland 2025 | — | — | £33,671 | — | — |
Job titles in this code
What the work involves
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.
Typical 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
Entry routes and qualifications
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.