Overview
EMPLOYED
324,800
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 February 2025.
The number of workers grew by 10,300 (or 3.3%) over the last year.
| Quarterly employment, Mining | Employment |
|---|---|
| 110500 | |
| 113800 | |
| 117100 | |
| 120400 | |
| 123700 | |
| 127000 | |
| 130300 | |
| 133500 | |
| 136900 | |
| 140300 | |
| 143800 | |
| 147500 | |
| 151400 | |
| 155400 | |
| 159700 | |
| 164000 | |
| 168600 | |
| 173400 | |
| 178500 | |
| 184000 | |
| 189900 | |
| 196200 | |
| 202700 | |
| 209300 | |
| 216100 | |
| 222700 | |
| 229100 | |
| 235100 | |
| 240400 | |
| 245000 | |
| 248600 | |
| 251200 | |
| 252800 | |
| 253400 | |
| 253200 | |
| 252100 | |
| 250300 | |
| 247900 | |
| 245200 | |
| 242400 | |
| 239700 | |
| 237200 | |
| 235100 | |
| 233500 | |
| 232300 | |
| 231800 | |
| 231900 | |
| 232700 | |
| 233900 | |
| 235700 | |
| 238000 | |
| 240700 | |
| 243700 | |
| 246900 | |
| 250200 | |
| 253500 | |
| 256800 | |
| 260000 | |
| 263300 | |
| 266500 | |
| 269700 | |
| 273000 | |
| 276400 | |
| 279900 | |
| 283300 | |
| 286700 | |
| 290000 | |
| 293200 | |
| 296200 | |
| 299000 | |
| 301500 | |
| 303900 | |
| 306100 | |
| 308300 | |
| 310300 | |
| 312400 | |
| 314500 | |
| 316700 | |
| 319200 | |
| 321900 | |
| 324800 |
Sectors
Metal Ore Mining is the largest sector in the Mining industry, employing 139,200 workers.
| Employment by industry sectors | Employment |
|---|---|
| Metal Ore Mining | 139200 |
| Other Mining Support Services | 57600 |
| Coal Mining | 48800 |
| Exploration | 28200 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 21700 |
| Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 9700 |
| Construction Material Mining | 4500 |
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 |
| 3129 | Other Building and Engineering Technicians |
| 7331 | Truck Drivers |
| 3411 | Electricians |
| 2336 | Mining Engineers |
| 1335 | Production Managers |
| 2344 | Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists |
| 7212 | Earthmoving Plant Operators |
| 3223 | Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers |
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.