Overview
EMPLOYED
314,800
PART-TIME SHARE
5%
WORKFORCE SHARE
2.2%
FEMALE SHARE
21%
MEDIAN WEEKLY EARNINGS
$2,649
MEDIAN AGE
41
Mining is a small employing industry. Around 2.2% of workers have their main job in this industry.
Mining covers the exploration and extraction of minerals, oil and gas. Activities in the Mining industry include:
- mining preparation work
- underground or open cut mining
- dredging
- quarrying
- well operations or evaporation pans.
Most jobs are in Western Australia and Queensland. Employment is mainly in regional or remote locations like Pilbara and Gladstone.
Median earnings are $2,649 per week, higher than all industries median earnings of $1,700.
Details
On this page
Employment
Employment in the Mining industry grew over the 20 years to November 2024.
The number of workers grew by 4,700 (or 1.5%) over the last year.
| Quarterly employment, Mining | Employment |
|---|---|
| 107200 | |
| 110500 | |
| 113800 | |
| 117100 | |
| 120400 | |
| 123700 | |
| 127000 | |
| 130300 | |
| 133600 | |
| 136900 | |
| 140300 | |
| 143800 | |
| 147500 | |
| 151400 | |
| 155400 | |
| 159700 | |
| 164000 | |
| 168600 | |
| 173400 | |
| 178600 | |
| 184100 | |
| 190000 | |
| 196200 | |
| 202700 | |
| 209400 | |
| 216100 | |
| 222700 | |
| 229100 | |
| 235100 | |
| 240400 | |
| 245000 | |
| 248600 | |
| 251200 | |
| 252800 | |
| 253500 | |
| 253200 | |
| 252100 | |
| 250300 | |
| 248000 | |
| 245300 | |
| 242500 | |
| 239800 | |
| 237300 | |
| 235200 | |
| 233500 | |
| 232400 | |
| 231900 | |
| 232000 | |
| 232700 | |
| 234000 | |
| 235900 | |
| 238100 | |
| 240800 | |
| 243800 | |
| 247000 | |
| 250400 | |
| 253700 | |
| 257100 | |
| 260400 | |
| 263600 | |
| 266900 | |
| 270200 | |
| 273600 | |
| 277100 | |
| 280600 | |
| 284100 | |
| 287500 | |
| 290900 | |
| 294000 | |
| 297000 | |
| 299600 | |
| 301900 | |
| 304000 | |
| 305900 | |
| 307500 | |
| 308900 | |
| 310200 | |
| 311300 | |
| 312400 | |
| 313600 | |
| 314800 |
Sectors
Metal Ore Mining is the largest sector in the Mining industry, employing 133,000 workers.
| Employment by industry sectors | Employment |
|---|---|
| Metal Ore Mining | 133000 |
| Other Mining Support Services | 57700 |
| Coal Mining | 45000 |
| Exploration | 27400 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 21100 |
| Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 10100 |
| Construction Material Mining | 4800 |
Occupations
Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers is the largest employing occupation in the Mining industry.
The 10 largest employing occupations are shown below.
Some occupations are common across a number of industries.
Largest employing occupations
| ANZSCO Code | Occupation title |
|---|---|
| 7122 | Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers |
| 3232 | Metal Fitters and Machinists |
| 7331 | Truck Drivers |
| 3129 | Other Building and Engineering Technicians |
| 3411 | Electricians |
| 2336 | Mining Engineers |
| 1335 | Production Managers |
| 2344 | Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists |
| 7212 | Earthmoving Plant Operators |
| 5111 | Contract, Program and Project Administrators |
Data Downloads
Industry data
This file contains data for all 19 industries to make comparing industry data easy. Information available includes:
- industry overview
- industry employment (20-year time series)
- industry sector employment
- top employing occupations by industry.