Career Profile: Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 7,500 people employed as mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers in the United States. The median annual salary is $97,090. Entry level employees earn approximately $48,690 per year and senior employees earn approximately $162,720 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel.
• Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions.
• Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics.
• Select locations and plan underground or surface mining operations, specifying processes, labor usage, and equipment that will result in safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction of minerals and ores.
• Prepare schedules, reports, and estimates of the costs involved in developing and operating mines.
• Monitor mine production rates to assess operational effectiveness.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate technicians, technologists, survey personnel, engineers, scientists or other mine personnel.
• Examine maps, deposits, drilling locations, or mines to determine the location, size, accessibility, contents, value, and potential profitability of mineral, oil, and gas deposits.
• Design, implement, and monitor the development of mines, facilities, systems, or equipment.
• Test air to detect toxic gases and recommend measures to remove them, such as installation of ventilation shafts.
• Implement and coordinate mine safety programs, including the design and maintenance of protective and rescue equipment and safety devices.
• Devise solutions to problems of land reclamation and water and air pollution, such as methods of storing excavated soil and returning exhausted mine sites to natural states.
• Lay out, direct, and supervise mine construction operations, such as the construction of shafts and tunnels.
• Design, develop, and implement computer applications for use in mining operations such as mine design, modeling, or mapping or for monitoring mine conditions.
• Select or devise materials-handling methods and equipment to transport ore, waste materials, and mineral products efficiently and economically.
• Evaluate data to develop new mining products, equipment, or processes.
• Design mining and mineral treatment equipment and machinery in collaboration with other engineering specialists.
• Conduct or direct mining experiments to test or prove research findings.

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