How to become an underground production and development miner
Official title: Underground production and development miners
Also called: Coal miner, Drift miner, Raise miner, Shaft miner, Stope miner, Potash miner, Hardrock miner, Soft rock miner, Apprentice miner, Production miner, Development miner, Production driller
Underground production and development miners drill, blast, operate mining machinery, and perform related duties to extract coal and ore in underground mines and to construct tunnels, passageways and shafts to facilitate mining operations. They are employed by coal, metal and non-metallic mineral underground mines and by specialized contractors in mine construction, shaft sinking and tunnelling. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main tasks
- Set up and operate drills and drilling machines to produce a designated pattern of blasting holes
- Operate diamond drills or other specialized drills such as raise boring machinery to test geological formations or to produce underground passageways
- Set up and operate mining machinery to shear coal, rock or ore from the working face
- Load explosives, set fuses, and detonate explosives to produce desired blasting patterns and rock fragmentation in underground mines
- Operate scooptram, load-haul-dump (LHD) machine or mucking machine to load and haul ore from stopes, drifts and drawpoints to ore passes
- Perform duties required to ensure safety and to support the mining advance, such as scaling loose rock from walls and roof, drilling and installing rock bolts, extending and installing air and water pipes, operating ore loading machinery, inspecting mine shafts, operating hoists that transport people, equipment and materials through mine shafts, and constructing timber supports and cribbing if required
- Perform routine maintenance of mining machinery
How to become one
Completion of secondary school is usually required. Formal training of up to six weeks followed by extended periods of specialized training as a helper or in support occupations is usually provided. Previous experience as a mine labourer or in other mine occupations is usually required. Provincial blasting licence may be required. May be certified in the basic common core program or as an underground hard rock miner in Ontario. Trade certification for miners is available, but voluntary, in Quebec. Company licensing or certification is often required for occupations in this unit group. Certificate in first aid may be required.
Ways in
- Licence or registration: Provincial blasting licence may be required. Company licensing or certification is often required for occupations in this unit group.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $81,900 a year The middle half earn $69,791 to $93,600.
- About 29,400 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 33,000 are projected by 2033. (+12.2%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: balance.
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Questions people ask
How do I become an underground production and development miner?
Completion of secondary school is usually required. Formal training of up to six weeks followed by extended periods of specialized training as a helper or in support occupations is usually provided. Previous experience as a mine labourer or in other mine occupations is usually required. Provincial blasting licence may be required. May be certified in the basic common core program or as an underground hard rock miner in Ontario. Trade certification for miners is available, but voluntary, in Quebec. Company licensing or certification is often required for occupations in this unit group. Certificate in first aid may be required.
How much does an underground production and development miner earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $81,900 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)). The middle half earn $69,791 to $93,600.
Is an underground production and development miner a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2033, from about 29,400 to about 33,000 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become an underground production and development miner?
Usually not. Only 2% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03