Overview
EMPLOYED
300,700
PART-TIME SHARE
5%
WORKFORCE SHARE
2.1%
FEMALE SHARE
21%
MEDIAN WEEKLY EARNINGS
$2,452
MEDIAN AGE
41
Mining is a small employing industry. Around 2.1% 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 $2,452 per week, higher than all industries median earnings of $1,600.
Details
On this page
Employment
Employment in the Mining industry grew over the 20 years to August 2024.
The number of workers fell by 1,500 (or -0.5%) over the last year.
| Quarterly employment, Mining | Employment |
|---|---|
| 103200 | |
| 106300 | |
| 109500 | |
| 112700 | |
| 116000 | |
| 119300 | |
| 122600 | |
| 125900 | |
| 129100 | |
| 132300 | |
| 135600 | |
| 139000 | |
| 142500 | |
| 146200 | |
| 150000 | |
| 154000 | |
| 158200 | |
| 162600 | |
| 167100 | |
| 171900 | |
| 177000 | |
| 182400 | |
| 188300 | |
| 194500 | |
| 200900 | |
| 207500 | |
| 214200 | |
| 220800 | |
| 227100 | |
| 233000 | |
| 238300 | |
| 242900 | |
| 246400 | |
| 249000 | |
| 250600 | |
| 251200 | |
| 250900 | |
| 249800 | |
| 247900 | |
| 245500 | |
| 242800 | |
| 239900 | |
| 237200 | |
| 234600 | |
| 232500 | |
| 230700 | |
| 229600 | |
| 229000 | |
| 229100 | |
| 229800 | |
| 231000 | |
| 232800 | |
| 235000 | |
| 237700 | |
| 240700 | |
| 243900 | |
| 247200 | |
| 250600 | |
| 254000 | |
| 257300 | |
| 260600 | |
| 263900 | |
| 267300 | |
| 270700 | |
| 274300 | |
| 277800 | |
| 281300 | |
| 284800 | |
| 288000 | |
| 291100 | |
| 293800 | |
| 296200 | |
| 298200 | |
| 299800 | |
| 301000 | |
| 301800 | |
| 302200 | |
| 302200 | |
| 301900 | |
| 301300 | |
| 300700 |
Sectors
Metal Ore Mining is the largest sector in the Mining industry, employing 134,800 workers.
| Employment by industry sectors | Employment |
|---|---|
| Metal Ore Mining | 134800 |
| Other Mining Support Services | 52200 |
| Coal Mining | 45200 |
| Exploration | 24900 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 21100 |
| Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 9900 |
| Construction Material Mining | 4600 |
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.