Overview
EMPLOYED
321,300
PART-TIME SHARE
4%
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 6,700 (or 2.1%) over the last year.
| Quarterly employment, Mining | Employment |
|---|---|
| 113800 | |
| 117100 | |
| 120400 | |
| 123700 | |
| 127000 | |
| 130300 | |
| 133600 | |
| 136900 | |
| 140300 | |
| 143800 | |
| 147500 | |
| 151400 | |
| 155400 | |
| 159700 | |
| 164000 | |
| 168600 | |
| 173400 | |
| 178500 | |
| 184100 | |
| 190000 | |
| 196200 | |
| 202700 | |
| 209400 | |
| 216100 | |
| 222700 | |
| 229100 | |
| 235100 | |
| 240400 | |
| 245000 | |
| 248600 | |
| 251200 | |
| 252800 | |
| 253400 | |
| 253100 | |
| 252000 | |
| 250200 | |
| 247900 | |
| 245200 | |
| 242300 | |
| 239600 | |
| 237100 | |
| 235000 | |
| 233300 | |
| 232200 | |
| 231700 | |
| 231800 | |
| 232500 | |
| 233800 | |
| 235600 | |
| 237800 | |
| 240500 | |
| 243500 | |
| 246700 | |
| 250000 | |
| 253400 | |
| 256700 | |
| 260000 | |
| 263200 | |
| 266500 | |
| 269800 | |
| 273200 | |
| 276700 | |
| 280200 | |
| 283700 | |
| 287200 | |
| 290700 | |
| 293900 | |
| 296900 | |
| 299700 | |
| 302200 | |
| 304500 | |
| 306500 | |
| 308400 | |
| 310100 | |
| 311700 | |
| 313100 | |
| 314600 | |
| 316200 | |
| 317800 | |
| 319600 | |
| 321300 |
Sectors
Metal Ore Mining is the largest sector in the Mining industry, employing 144,700 workers.
| Employment by industry sectors | Employment |
|---|---|
| Metal Ore Mining | 144700 |
| Other Mining Support Services | 58500 |
| Coal Mining | 44900 |
| Exploration | 26300 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 21200 |
| Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 10000 |
| 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 |
| 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.