Quarry worker

Quarry workers excavate and process rock, slate, gravel and sand from quarries and opencast mines.

Also known as: Quarry operative, opencast mine worker, opencast miner

• Starter salary£22,000 a year
• Experienced£35,000 a year
• Typical hours40 to 48 a week

What you'll do

As a quarry worker, you could:

• use mechanical diggers to excavate rock, clay, sand, gravel and slate
• operate equipment like rock crushers and stone graders
• use drilling equipment
• maintain vehicles and machinery
• set and detonate explosives
• transport materials to a processing plant

Working environment

You could work at a quarry.

Your working environment may be physically demanding, dusty and noisy.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• the ability to operate and control equipment
• the ability to work well with your hands
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to work on your own
• the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
• physical fitness and endurance
• the ability to work well with others
• knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

How to become a quarry worker

You can get into this job through:

• an apprenticeship
• applying directly

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through a Mineral Processing Plant Operator Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship. This includes working with mobile and fixed quarrying machines and equipment.

This can take up to 2 years and is a mix of training on the job and off-site learning.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Direct application

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got experience or qualifications in construction, mining, or operating heavy machinery like mechanical diggers and dumper trucks.

Restrictions and requirements

You may need a Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) card to operate heavy plant machinery.

Career path and progression

With training and experience, you could become a site supervisor, mineral products technician or quarry manager .

You could also move into:

• quality control
• explosives work - shotfiring
• health and safety inspection
• machine and plant maintenance
• laboratory work, testing mineral samples

Career tips

You may need your own transport to get to work, as quarries are usually in the countryside.

Guides for this industry

• Environmental Sciences: pay, interviews and getting started →

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