Mining Careers

Diesel Mechanic

Diesel engines are a whole ‘nother thing, and keeping them running takes specialized training. Diesel mechanics at a mine repair, troubleshoot, adjust, overhaul and maintain mobile heavy-duty equipment and vehicles used in underground and on the surface. Equipment includes electric shovels, haul trucks, drills, bolters, graders, dozers, tractors and light vehicles. If you love the...

Driller and Blaster

They make TV shows about cool jobs like this. Drillers safely operate a variety of both horizontal and vertical drilling equipment for boring holes to extract core samples during mining exploration and to facilitate the use of explosives in mine operations. Blasters place and detonate explosives to loosen, remove or displace earth, rock or other...

Electrical & Instrumentation Technician

This ain’t your grandfather’s mine. Today’s mines are high-tech, fully connected systems that rely on a wide array of modern electronics. Electrical and instrumentation technicians troubleshoot, maintain and repair electrical and associated equipment in a safe, environmentally responsible and timely manner. These technicians install or service lights, communications systems and a variety of electrical control...

Equipment Operator

There’s a lot of mechanized stuff at a mine, and that means a lot of opportunity for you. Equipment operators drive a wide range of heavy equipment used in the mining process, such as tractor-trailer combinations, loaders, graders, excavators, dozers, forklifts, mobile cranes, large capacity shovels and trucks. For the kid who loved getting in...

Geologist / Geological Engineer

Love rocks? Good news: mining is all about rocks. Geologists/geological engineers play a part in all aspects of mining exploration, discovery, evaluation and production cycles. During exploration, geologists are responsible for finding new material sources that will become the mines of the future. On the mine site, the geologist is responsible for daily control over...

Haul-Truck Driver

Like big rigs? Haul-truck drivers operate haulage equipment to transport and dump ore and waste. This is big-scale driving that requires great focus on safety and precision at an often-crowded and/or confined worksite. Requires the ability to monitor truck operations, recognize, report and avoid hazards, and carry out assignments to achieve safety and production goals....

Health & Safety Specialist

Mines are extremely safe operations today. Health and safety specialists are responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring health and safety guidelines. They work to ensure that all employees know, understand and follow all health and safety procedures. They can be subspecialized in emergency response, including mine rescue, first aid and firefighting, and provide training to...

Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical engineering is the branch of engineering that involves the design, production, and operation of machinery and tools. They design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal devices, including tools, engines, and machines. Mechanical engineers apply the principles of engineering, physics and materials science for the design, analysis, manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical systems. A...

Metallurgist

The whole reason for a mine is to find and extract the metals that make nearly everything in our modern world possible. Metallurgists extract and refine valuable materials from raw ore using sophisticated processes and new technologies. They also work to protect and restore the environment and monitor processing in the mill to maintain or...

Metallurgy, Chemical and Environmental Laboratory Technician

A mine is a lot more than digging and trucking. It’s also highly scientific. Lab technicians are needed for assessment of samples in several areas of a mining operation: geological, environmental and chemical. Preparation of samples for assays or for determination of compliance involves use of chemical processes, laboratory equipment and analyzers and data information...

Mill Operator

This is where the rocks are crushed and separated. Mill operators are responsible for running the mill with minimal supervision to ensure maximum throughput and recovery while maintaining the lowest practical level of consumable material usage. They work with gyratory, standard and short-head crushers, feeders, pumps, screening plants and conveyors as well as dust control...

Mining-Millwright

Millwright

A mining crew is always on the move, and that means their complex, heavy equipment is, too. This is where you come in. Millwrights are highly skilled, precision mechanics who install, move, maintain and repair mechanized equipment located in a mine, often in the processing plant. Duties include troubleshooting, diagnosing, modifying, fabricating and repairing equipment...

Mining Engineer

You’re the smart, highly educated person in charge of answering the question, “How are we going to do this?” Mining engineers help plan, design and build mines. They also manage and control the activities of existing mines. Engineers are responsible for designing, implementing and coordinating all aspects of mine development and safety. A high-paying career...

Permitting Specialist

Mines must fulfill a huge number of government-mandated requirements to ensure that they’re operating safely. No permits, no mine. So this is a critically important person on a mine’s team who is responsible for the successful and timely attainment of permits from state and federal land-management and safety-oversight agencies for various phases of mining projects....