The mining industry employs a broad set of workers and talented individuals from operators and technicians to surveyors and environmental professionals. Given the extensive time and effort that goes into locating, planning, permitting, developing, producing and processing minerals, there are a wide range of high-paying job opportunities. The average minerals mining salary is over $80,000, which is well above the national average. Some jobs such as engineers, geologists and geophysicists require advanced degrees from schools and universities that offer specialized programs and training, but not all.
Here are examples of the types of jobs that are available at nearly every mine site:
- Excavator operators use heavy machinery and haul trucks to move raw materials.
- Geologic technicians support mine engineers in exploring, extracting, and monitoring mineral resources.
- Surveyors assist with updating layouts and keeping records to maintain a proper mine plan.
- Mine/Mill Supervisors oversee all aspects of front-line mine operations and production processes.
- Health Safety & Environmental professionals help to maintain efficient operations while reducing risks to people, property and the environment.
- Geophysicists study the earth by conducting surveys to locate minerals and other resources.
- Metallurgists are focused on the extraction and processing of various metals.
- Geologists in either mine or exploration specialties can be responsible for resource discovery and evaluation.
- Engineers cover a variety of specialties and roles, including drill and blast as well as materials and handling(edelman, 2021).
What’s a role in mining that you think most people don’t realize exists, or one that’s truly essential for its success? Share your insights!
Reference:
edelman. (2021, December 6). Growing Mineral Demands Mean Jobs and Career Opportunities. Minerals Make Life. https://mineralsmakelife.org/blog/growing-mineral-demands-mean-jobs-and-career-opportunities/
