9411-NOC

Machine operators, mineral and metal processing

(NOC 9411)
Annual Earnings
$79,378
Typical Education Background
Apprenticeship Certificate
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
300

Career Overview

Machine operators in mineral and metal processing run single-function machines or machinery that are part of a larger production to process mineral ore and metal products.

People in this career group work in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries. They also work in uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries and cement processing plants.

Duties

Machine operators, mineral and metal processing, perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Set up, prepare and adjust mineral ore, metal and cement processing machinery to carry out one step in the overall mineral ore or metal processing operation
  • Operate single-function machinery to grind, separate, filter, mix, treat, cast, roll, refine or otherwise process mineral ores
  • Look at gauges, meters, computer printouts, video monitors and products to make sure machine operates properly and confirm specific processing conditions
  • Make adjustments to machinery as needed
  • Record production information and complete reports
  • May help with machinery maintenance or repair

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$79,378

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$45.67/hr
Median$38.06/hr
Low$26.79/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

600

% Employed Full Time

52%
Source: 2016 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place in a regular controlled indoor setting.
  • Work also takes place in an indoor environment where temperatures or humidity may vary considerably.
  • Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools may be source of injury.
  • Workers may be exposed to fire, steam or hot surfaces that can be hazardous.
  • The workplace many contain strong or toxic odours.
  • Airborne particles such as dust and sand may be present in the work environment

Career Pathways

With experience, machine operators may progress to central control and process operators in mineral and metal processing.

There is little movement among the various types of machine operators within the mineral and metal processing industry.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Job Titles

Alumina clarifier / recovery
Aluminum equipment
Annealer
Anode / anode caster
Attendant, agglomerating
Attendant, discharge door / induration
Attendant, spiral conveyor
Baghouse
Bar-straightening machine
Blender, diamond powder
Brine maker
Cadmium equipment
Calciner, gypsum
Casting machine
Cathode-stripping machine
Cement and concrete equipment
Charging machine
Classifier
Coal breaker / screener / washer
Coiler
Condenser
Continuous drossing
Cooling bed
Copper billet piercing mill
Crusher and blender
Dewatering equipment
Digester
Dryer
Dryer, asbestos / asbestos screen tender
Electrolytic cleaner
Electrostatic separator
Extrusion press
Finisher - primary metal processing
Foil-winding machine
Fume scrubber
Hardener / case hardener
Heater, coke oven / rivet heater
Heat-treat furnace / kettle / kiln
Induction machine
Ingot finishing
Jumbo casting
Ladle / ladle pourer
Larry car
Leaching
Lead equipment
Magnetic separator
Manipulator machine
Metal extrusion press / hardener
Mica equipment
Milling machine
Molten metal mixer
Molybdenum flotation / leaching
Opperator, dust pump (slag furnace)
Ore crusher
Phosphate granulator
Pickler / pickle line
Pig iron equipment
Pointer
Pot liner / tender
Pourer, crane ladle / crucible
Processor, dental amalgam
Purification - zinc oxide leach
Quenching car
Recovery equipment
Reeling machine
Refiner, mint precious metal
Residue filter
Rod mill / rod drawer
Roll table / roller plate mill
Roller, tandem / temper mill
Salt machinery
Scalehouse - zinc melting
Scrap metal shredder / remelter
Scrubber operator
Seamless steel billet piercer
Seamless tube roller
Setter, pipe and tube roll
Sheet rougher
Sink-float equipment
Sintering machine
Slime recovery / slime treater
Slurry equipment
Stack dust leach - zinc casting
Steel pourer / roller
Straightening machine
Stretcher-leveller
Sulphur control
Tankhouse equipment
Tapper, blast furnace / kettle
Tender, amalgamation
Tender, coke screen / coke blender
Tender, cone
Tender, Cottrell
Tender, flotation cell
Tender, flux-mixing machine
Tender, grinder / classifier / floatation
Tender, heavy media separation
Tender, hot strip finishing / roughing mill
Tender, pan
Tender, peat moss dehydrator
Tender, pellet press / pellet segregator
Tender, precipitator
Tender, reagent
Tender, tailings thickener
Tender, wet plant recovery equipment
Transfer bed
Tube rolling mill
Waste treatment
Wire drawing machine
Zinc cell / zinc pressure leach

Education, Training and Skills

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • On-the-job training is provided.
  • Experience as a labourer in mineral and metal processing is usually required for machine operators.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Academic/Basic Upgrading
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Operation Monitoring

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

65%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

65%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

56%
Critical Thinking

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

50%
Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

49%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

49%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

49%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

48%
Judgment and Decision-Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

48%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

47%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

600
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 40 4.6%
Kootenay 190 23.1%
Mainland/Southwest 240 31.5%
North Coast and Nechako 300 17.7%
Northeast 60 4.6%
Thompson-Okanagan 110 14.6%
Vancouver Island/Coast 40 4.6%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

300
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 10 2.3%
Kootenay 30 0.5%
Mainland/Southwest 70 0.0%
North Coast and Nechako 110 1.6%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 20 1.7%
Vancouver Island/Coast 0 0.0%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Manufacturing49,200
Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction12,000
Wholesale Trade33,100
Construction72,700
Transportation and Warehousing53,400
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.