Australian Government - SkillsInfo

Mining employs approximately 156,000 persons, full time and part time, which is around 1.5 per cent of the total workforce. Over the past five years, employment in the industry has increased at a rate of 9.1 per cent per annum. The median age for workers in this industry is 40 years and median earnings are around $1750 per week (before tax) for full-time employees.

Industry Employment Outlooks  provide detailed analysis of employment characteristics, trends and prospects by industry, and highlight specific sectors where job growth is the strongest. Specific issues highlighted in these outlooks include workforce ageing, employment share by gender, educational profile, weekly earnings, average hours worked, regional and occupational employment.

Beklow is an Industry Employment Overview of the Mining Industry. For more detailed information go to the Industry Employment Profiles or directly to the Industry and Regional Tables page for data on broad (ANZSIC 1 digit) industries.

For information on data sources, including time periods, go to the Help page.

The following summary table illustrates how this historical trend translates into rates of growth within various time intervals (i.e. one, two, five and ten years).

Source: DEEWR Trend Data based on ABS Labour Force, Australia, Cat no: 6291.0.55.003 – August 2009.

The following shows projected future growth, general employment characteristics and the proportion of workers aged 45 years and over in the Mining Industry.

Characteristics and Mature Age Source: DEEWR Special Order based on ABS Labour Force, Australia, Cat no: 6291.0.55.003 – Calendar Year Average 2008                                                                                                                          

The following shows the top 10 employing DEEWR Labour Market Regions (LMRs) for this industry including the number employed by each region (in 000's):

Using the following two links you can view more details of employment in this industry by ABS Labour Force Region and by DEEWR Labour Market Region.

The top employing occupations in Mining are shown below. Click on any of the occupation titles to go to the Job Outlook web page for that occupation. Job Outlook contains a comprehensive statistical profile for each occupation, as well as links to Australian JobSearch and My Future.

Education and Training

• Minerals Council of Australia - Education
• SkillsDMC National Industry Skills Council - Products and Services
• Australian Drilling Industry Training Committee

Industry Skills Needs

• DEEWR - Skills Needed in the Workforce
• NCVER - Workforce planning for the resources and infrastructure industry (November 2007)
• Resources and Infrastructure Industry Skills Council - Keep Pace with your Skills
• Addressing Barriers to the Employment and Training of Trainees and Apprentices in the Australian Minerals Industry (May 2006)

Careers and Job Opportunities

• MiningCareers.com
• Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy – Careers in Mineral Industries
• Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association – Careers Guide
• drillin.com.au - Careers in the Mining and Energy Sector
• miningjobs.com.au - Australian mining job portal
• Mining Employment Services - Mining recuitment website
• Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA - Careers in Mining and Resources
• DT Workforce

Industry Organisations and Government Departments

• Australian Drilling Industry Association
• Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA)
• Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association
• Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
• Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET)
• Minerals Council of Australia
• SkillsDMC - National Industry Skills Council

 Return to top of page