How to become a Mining and Geological Engineer or Including Mining Safety Engineer
Official title: Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers
Also called: Mine Engineer, Mining Consultant, Mining Engineer, Planning Engineer, Project Engineer, Safety Engineer, Safety Representative
Conduct subsurface surveys to identify the characteristics of potential land or mining development sites. May specify the ground support systems, processes, and equipment for safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction or underground construction activities. May inspect areas for unsafe geological conditions, equipment, and working conditions. May design, implement, and coordinate mine safety programs.
Main 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.
How to become one
Mining and geological engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in mining or geological engineering or a related field to enter the occupation.
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Mine Inspect. (Gov) Metal-Nonmetal.
- Apprenticeship: Mine Inspector (Gov) Coal.
- College: Engineering degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
- College: Science degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
- Licence: A licence is required in 48 states.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $106,220 a year The middle half earn $85,280 to $136,590.
- About 6,200 people work in this job now, and about 6,400 are projected by 2035. (+3.8%)
- People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
Related jobs
- Transportation Engineers
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Environmental Engineers
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
- Aerospace Engineers
- Agricultural Engineers
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Mining and Geological Engineer or Including Mining Safety Engineer?
Mining and geological engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in mining or geological engineering or a related field to enter the occupation.
How much does a Mining and Geological Engineer or Including Mining Safety Engineer earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $106,220 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $85,280 to $136,590.
Is a Mining and Geological Engineer or Including Mining Safety Engineer a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 6,200 to about 6,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Mining and Geological Engineer or Including Mining Safety Engineer?
Usually. 83% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Mining and Geological Engineer or Including Mining Safety Engineer?
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.