Overview
EMPLOYED
299,200
PART-TIME SHARE
4%
WORKFORCE SHARE
2.0%
FEMALE SHARE
20%
MEDIAN WEEKLY EARNINGS
$2,649
MEDIAN AGE
41
Mining is a small employing industry. Around 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 August 2025.
The number of workers fell by 5,800 (or -1.9%) over the last year.
| Quarterly employment, Mining | Employment |
|---|---|
| 116000 | |
| 119300 | |
| 122600 | |
| 125900 | |
| 129100 | |
| 132300 | |
| 135600 | |
| 139000 | |
| 142500 | |
| 146100 | |
| 150000 | |
| 154000 | |
| 158200 | |
| 162600 | |
| 167100 | |
| 171900 | |
| 177000 | |
| 182400 | |
| 188300 | |
| 194400 | |
| 200900 | |
| 207500 | |
| 214200 | |
| 220800 | |
| 227100 | |
| 233000 | |
| 238300 | |
| 242800 | |
| 246400 | |
| 249000 | |
| 250500 | |
| 251100 | |
| 250800 | |
| 249700 | |
| 247900 | |
| 245500 | |
| 242800 | |
| 240000 | |
| 237200 | |
| 234700 | |
| 232600 | |
| 230900 | |
| 229700 | |
| 229200 | |
| 229200 | |
| 229900 | |
| 231200 | |
| 233000 | |
| 235200 | |
| 237900 | |
| 240800 | |
| 244000 | |
| 247400 | |
| 250700 | |
| 254100 | |
| 257400 | |
| 260700 | |
| 264100 | |
| 267500 | |
| 271000 | |
| 274600 | |
| 278200 | |
| 281900 | |
| 285500 | |
| 289000 | |
| 292300 | |
| 295400 | |
| 298100 | |
| 300400 | |
| 302300 | |
| 303900 | |
| 305100 | |
| 305900 | |
| 306200 | |
| 306100 | |
| 305700 | |
| 304900 | |
| 303900 | |
| 302600 | |
| 301000 | |
| 299200 |
Sectors
Metal Ore Mining is the largest sector in the Mining industry, employing 129,700 workers.
| Employment by industry sectors | Employment |
|---|---|
| Metal Ore Mining | 129700 |
| Other Mining Support Services | 54000 |
| Coal Mining | 48800 |
| Exploration | 23900 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 22400 |
| Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 10900 |
| Construction Material Mining | 4400 |
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.