Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $67,490 | $32.45 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $106,220 | $51.07 |
| Mean (average) | $115,410 | $55.49 |
| 90th percentile | $169,990 | $81.73 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 30 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $102,530 | $57,540 | $183,090 | 90 | 1.04 |
| Alaska | $124,630 | $83,670 | $199,670 | 300 | 23.22 |
| Arizona | $102,130 | $82,390 | $173,560 | 690 | 5.42 |
| California | $158,130 | $84,430 | $175,940 | 520 | 0.73 |
| Colorado | $96,820 | $66,870 | $164,310 | 670 | 5.98 |
| Florida | $117,500 | $82,300 | $213,310 | 50 | 0.13 |
| Idaho | $123,680 | $66,600 | $134,740 | 110 | 3.35 |
| Illinois | $107,690 | $68,990 | $157,150 | ||
| Indiana | $113,640 | $74,200 | $146,160 | 60 | 0.47 |
| Kentucky | $103,300 | $76,120 | $139,730 | 230 | 2.91 |
| Michigan | $97,310 | $65,220 | $143,130 | 140 | 0.82 |
| Minnesota | $91,610 | $61,550 | $138,850 | 70 | 0.63 |
| Missouri | Data unavailable | 40 | 0.33 | ||
| Montana | $105,410 | $78,690 | $129,850 | 110 | 5.31 |
| Nevada | $107,500 | $85,590 | $162,850 | 470 | 7.74 |
| New Mexico | Data unavailable | 270 | 7.97 | ||
| New York | $82,200 | $69,880 | $154,330 | 50 | 0.12 |
| North Carolina | $70,310 | $51,010 | $98,460 | ||
| Ohio | $86,210 | $60,800 | $179,310 | 70 | 0.34 |
| Oklahoma | $131,660 | $69,990 | $178,800 | 90 | 1.31 |
| Oregon | $96,210 | $68,640 | $147,420 | 90 | 1.17 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,020 | $48,540 | $160,990 | ||
| South Carolina | $98,790 | $68,090 | $139,760 | 40 | 0.41 |
| Tennessee | $100,390 | $54,390 | $130,070 | ||
| Texas | $100,580 | $79,990 | $169,640 | 160 | 0.3 |
| Utah | $125,520 | $83,340 | $178,600 | 230 | 3.38 |
| Virginia | $104,960 | $67,490 | $157,260 | 150 | 0.92 |
| West Virginia | $97,960 | $64,010 | $136,650 | 440 | 16.2 |
| Wisconsin | $95,950 | $64,660 | $165,900 | 40 | 0.35 |
| Wyoming | $119,010 | $96,590 | $158,000 | 210 | 18.81 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.6%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering CIP 14.0802
- Mining and Mineral Engineering CIP 14.2101
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering CIP 14.3901
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (in demand)
- Bentley MicroStation (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- MySQL (hot technology)
- Oracle Database (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Business software applications
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Coordination, Time Management.
Common job titles: Mine Engineer, Mining Consultant, Mining Engineer, Planning Engineer, Project Engineer, Safety Engineer, Safety Representative.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers make?
The national median annual wage for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers was $106,220 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $67,490 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $169,990. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers to change +3.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($158,130), Oklahoma ($131,660), Utah ($125,520). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.