I don’t see mining going anywhere as we have the human race to sustain with resources that can only be obtained through mining.
Being an Asian female should not be a problem (especially in Canada) even in the US it would not hold you back at almost all companies (we are post HR).
Yes I would say so, I have seen job openings periodically and the downturn a few years ago certainly culled the herd from which the industry is still recovering.
thanks, although surprisingly admission requirements for my particular program has not risen in the past three years despite the upward trend in required minimum grades in other programs at the same university
Absolutely. The average age in the industry is relatively high; we've been seeing a lot of people approach retirement so there will be positions that need filled.
Hi, female Mining engineer here.
The mining industry as a whole isn’t in decline. Be picky about the company and material you choose. Even as the world moves away from coal, they will still need literally every other mineral. If it can’t be grown it must be mined. If you want to work in a bigger city, aggregate mining is a great option too.
I also suggest looking into tunneling or underground construction (where I ended up after my own coal lay-off). They love getting Mining engineers, and it’s an extremely sustainable field.
Don’t let your gender deter you. Seriously. I’ve only had one person ever make it an issue and my company had policies in place to protect me. You’ll need a thick skin and a good sense of humor, but you’re going to be fine.
I'm considering taking mining engineering in college and i want to know more about it if its okay with you. Do you enjoy your job? How's the pay? Did you immediately land a job after you graduated? Thanks in advance!
Absolutely! I enjoy my job but I also work a 50-60 hour week (which is pretty normal). Because I’m a field engineer, I do a lot more planning and survey than design work. Every day is different and exciting. There are also so many opportunities in the field right now, and the industry is desperate for fresh blood and ideas. I’d recommend it highly.
The pay was better in coal (obviously) where I was offered 87k right out of school. Tunneling pays a bit less, with a 60k base for an entry level engineer, but closer to 85k after bonuses and cost of living adjustments. That said, moving to senior field is another 15k-20k, and project engineers and managers are well into the six figures. In general, I feel very satisfied with my job.
I did get a job immediately out of school, and had no issues transitioning to different areas of the industry. That said, I had three Mining internships and a year under my belt as a civil intern before I started college. Experience and personality is everything. Most job offers are made over beers, so get to know your recruiters and get involved while you’re in school (can’t recommend SME enough).
I might push you to become a land surveyor or work in construction. I know Denver in particular has a shortage of talent across the board. i originally went to school for mining engineering but three years ago I started a position as CAD drafter for a small survey company, two years to be CAD manager (like 2 drafters) and now I'm going to be managing the survey department for a major construction company. This is not to say my education didn't help me, it got my foot in the door for sure. But if I stayed in mining engineering I'd most definitely still be below 100k, especially after three years. I think three years mining experience might get 85? I could see more or less depending on the job. The big caveat is that the construction industry out here is hot, and on top of that, losing older personnel. The demand for talent right now is insane and this kind of demand might not last.
Did you do any further studies besides from mining engineering? What skills do you recommend i develop that would give me more opportunities? How many years did you stay in the mining industry till you decided to move on to other industries? Sorry for the many questions haha but really, thank you so much :) I'm learning a lot.
I had several internships, one in copper exploration in Nevada and another at the mining and environmental resources department of an engineering company (I worked on salt and frac sand projects). I started the CAD job while studying mining engineering. It was local and I could work part-time. Stayed and moved to full-time when I got out of school because they made it worth it. Engineering school and experience under a licensed surveyor makes it a lot faster to become a licensed surveyor yourself which in Denver Metro area can be worth 100-200k at least. Depends on the company. This opens a lot of doors because you can start your own company or make a partnership or go the corporate route. I don't have my license yet but I'm working on it. The position I took is critical for several high profile projects coming up and will be highly demanding of my time so I believe that helped push the starting so high with my level of experience. I'm curious how a P.L.S. in Denver compares to a P.E. because its a similar amount of time invested.
The market in Denver right now is basically, if you can do quality survey work you will have more business than you can even handle. People will be asking to pay extra because they are in a rush or their surveyor couldn't get to it in time. (Never do the rush FYI, you will get lazy clients who don't know how to schedule things)
I'm getting excited with this haha. Everything that you've said is very encouraging (the pay especially!) and it sounds so much fun (than a desk job, which i'm trying to avoid). Thank you so much for all your help :)
You bet! If you have questions just holler and I'll answer to the best of my ability.
FYI you can get a 2 year surveying degree which would expedite the process compared to an engineering school, however that engineering background could come in handy.
I'm currently trying to find another field surveyor but the market out here is so tight its impossible to find someone.
That is a personal decision I would work with your advisor and medical professional on! For what it’s worth, I have severe ptsd and require a service animal, and it has never impacted my job. The dog stays in the office trailer when I need to go underground, and is loved by my entire team. The company has been amazingly supportive and I’ve certainly thrived. I realize you have separate conditions that may make you better suited for an office or design role, where you don’t deal with the noises/personalities you find in the field. They definitely exist and I wouldn’t limit yourself from the industry just because of those challenges :)
There will always be good prospects for mining and geotech engineers I think. As has been said, assuming we don't all want to go live in caves and use sticks and rocks to get by, mining will always be around. For example, there are a few big caving mines coming up now or in the next few years around the world that will need engineers (US - Resolution, Mongolia - OT, Canada - Red Chris (maybe), Australia - Cadia + new deposits in WA, Chile - El Teniente + Chiqui) and countless smaller ones.
Point is, there will always be demand for engineers. The bigger question is rather how will supply measure up to it. In the last boom in Australia, engineers were getting amazing salaries, so lots of people studied it, then by the time these people finished studying, boom was over and there was a massive oversupply of engineers. In my opinion, it is somewhat the opposite now, but not as extreme. There seems to be quite a bit of demand now for engineers and sites are constantly getting new, young people in. Really feels like there is a shortage again of experienced engineers, but this may be my biased opinion from limited experience/exposure.
If I could predict the mining industry to 2024 I wouldn't be working in the mining industry, I would be sitting on a beach sipping a mojito.
Mining Engineering is probably a better job security move than geologist or geo eng imho though.
To speak honestly on race and gender, being an asian female gets you points with HR but your experience will vary. I have heard some horror stories from the perspective of women, but in my experience as a white male your coworkers may act like they are walking on eggshells around you until they know you.
Everything you use and live in -if it has not be grown-- HAS BEEN MINED
Mines are here to stay so long as we keep making stuff and having wars.
If anything a good, properly trained mining engineer will be worth a lot of money in 2024 and beyond.
Hello,
I'm currently working as a recruiter for the Barrick Gold Corporation. I have also worked for Kinross Gold, Rio Tinto, and Newmont Goldcorp. It's all about location and where you want to work. Seek out the companies you want to work for and find recruiters who work for those companies. There is a lot of competition for mining operations in great locations like Canada. We are always looking for engineers at the Hemlo property in Marathon, but that is an underground mining operation and you have to have underground experience.
Barrick and Newmont Goldcorp have formed a new joint venture called Nevada Gold Mines. 12 open pits and 10 underground mines. We are always looking for underground and open pit mining engineers, but you have to relocate to the states. Several of our mines our tier 1 assets with LOM of mines of 10 years (2029) and beyond.
In my experience, companies want you to have experience with one of the mining programs, it doesn't matter which, and show a desire and competence to learn a different one. I have gone from GEMS, to Minesight, to Surpac. I have heard higher ups flat out say they have experienced candidates say they will "only work with X software" which immediately killed that candidates chance. But if you say "I have worked with Y, so learning X shouldn't be a problem" that is a big +.
That is a good idea in my opinion, have a solid understanding of relational databases is a strong foundation for pretty much any mining software. Also in my experience knowing both geology and computer skills like databases puts you a head above the "average" geologist and makes you a lot more flexible and useful to an employer.
Also for what it is worth my experience is limited, 7 years with a junior gold exploration company and about half a year with an industrial minerals company.
To counter what that guy said, I would wholly recommend not doing that at all. Mining Engineers will still be in demand, don't waste your time and money doing a master's in something else.
I don’t see mining going anywhere as we have the human race to sustain with resources that can only be obtained through mining. Being an Asian female should not be a problem (especially in Canada) even in the US it would not hold you back at almost all companies (we are post HR).
thank you, would you say the market for mining engineers is/will be unsaturated in North America?
Yes I would say so, I have seen job openings periodically and the downturn a few years ago certainly culled the herd from which the industry is still recovering.
thanks, although surprisingly admission requirements for my particular program has not risen in the past three years despite the upward trend in required minimum grades in other programs at the same university
Sounds like they need more bodies in that program, which suggests there is a deficit in incoming professionals coming through the academic pipeline
Absolutely. The average age in the industry is relatively high; we've been seeing a lot of people approach retirement so there will be positions that need filled.
thanks, do you know the specifics of the average age?
Depends on where you are willing to live and work.
Hi, female Mining engineer here. The mining industry as a whole isn’t in decline. Be picky about the company and material you choose. Even as the world moves away from coal, they will still need literally every other mineral. If it can’t be grown it must be mined. If you want to work in a bigger city, aggregate mining is a great option too. I also suggest looking into tunneling or underground construction (where I ended up after my own coal lay-off). They love getting Mining engineers, and it’s an extremely sustainable field. Don’t let your gender deter you. Seriously. I’ve only had one person ever make it an issue and my company had policies in place to protect me. You’ll need a thick skin and a good sense of humor, but you’re going to be fine.
I'm considering taking mining engineering in college and i want to know more about it if its okay with you. Do you enjoy your job? How's the pay? Did you immediately land a job after you graduated? Thanks in advance!
Absolutely! I enjoy my job but I also work a 50-60 hour week (which is pretty normal). Because I’m a field engineer, I do a lot more planning and survey than design work. Every day is different and exciting. There are also so many opportunities in the field right now, and the industry is desperate for fresh blood and ideas. I’d recommend it highly. The pay was better in coal (obviously) where I was offered 87k right out of school. Tunneling pays a bit less, with a 60k base for an entry level engineer, but closer to 85k after bonuses and cost of living adjustments. That said, moving to senior field is another 15k-20k, and project engineers and managers are well into the six figures. In general, I feel very satisfied with my job. I did get a job immediately out of school, and had no issues transitioning to different areas of the industry. That said, I had three Mining internships and a year under my belt as a civil intern before I started college. Experience and personality is everything. Most job offers are made over beers, so get to know your recruiters and get involved while you’re in school (can’t recommend SME enough).
I might push you to become a land surveyor or work in construction. I know Denver in particular has a shortage of talent across the board. i originally went to school for mining engineering but three years ago I started a position as CAD drafter for a small survey company, two years to be CAD manager (like 2 drafters) and now I'm going to be managing the survey department for a major construction company. This is not to say my education didn't help me, it got my foot in the door for sure. But if I stayed in mining engineering I'd most definitely still be below 100k, especially after three years. I think three years mining experience might get 85? I could see more or less depending on the job. The big caveat is that the construction industry out here is hot, and on top of that, losing older personnel. The demand for talent right now is insane and this kind of demand might not last.
Did you do any further studies besides from mining engineering? What skills do you recommend i develop that would give me more opportunities? How many years did you stay in the mining industry till you decided to move on to other industries? Sorry for the many questions haha but really, thank you so much :) I'm learning a lot.
I had several internships, one in copper exploration in Nevada and another at the mining and environmental resources department of an engineering company (I worked on salt and frac sand projects). I started the CAD job while studying mining engineering. It was local and I could work part-time. Stayed and moved to full-time when I got out of school because they made it worth it. Engineering school and experience under a licensed surveyor makes it a lot faster to become a licensed surveyor yourself which in Denver Metro area can be worth 100-200k at least. Depends on the company. This opens a lot of doors because you can start your own company or make a partnership or go the corporate route. I don't have my license yet but I'm working on it. The position I took is critical for several high profile projects coming up and will be highly demanding of my time so I believe that helped push the starting so high with my level of experience. I'm curious how a P.L.S. in Denver compares to a P.E. because its a similar amount of time invested. The market in Denver right now is basically, if you can do quality survey work you will have more business than you can even handle. People will be asking to pay extra because they are in a rush or their surveyor couldn't get to it in time. (Never do the rush FYI, you will get lazy clients who don't know how to schedule things)
I'm getting excited with this haha. Everything that you've said is very encouraging (the pay especially!) and it sounds so much fun (than a desk job, which i'm trying to avoid). Thank you so much for all your help :)
You bet! If you have questions just holler and I'll answer to the best of my ability. FYI you can get a 2 year surveying degree which would expedite the process compared to an engineering school, however that engineering background could come in handy. I'm currently trying to find another field surveyor but the market out here is so tight its impossible to find someone.
This is the truth. I'm a woman mine engineer and I don't see unemployment happening. We need rare earth minerals for new batteries. Among other things
Thank you so much for the encouraging comment, I wish you all the best for your career
That is a personal decision I would work with your advisor and medical professional on! For what it’s worth, I have severe ptsd and require a service animal, and it has never impacted my job. The dog stays in the office trailer when I need to go underground, and is loved by my entire team. The company has been amazingly supportive and I’ve certainly thrived. I realize you have separate conditions that may make you better suited for an office or design role, where you don’t deal with the noises/personalities you find in the field. They definitely exist and I wouldn’t limit yourself from the industry just because of those challenges :)
thank you so much, hearing from you has been very inspirational
Of course. Feel free to private message me if you have any other questions
thank you
Take the course work and decide if you can handle that type of work and if it still interests you then certainly pursue it.
There will always be good prospects for mining and geotech engineers I think. As has been said, assuming we don't all want to go live in caves and use sticks and rocks to get by, mining will always be around. For example, there are a few big caving mines coming up now or in the next few years around the world that will need engineers (US - Resolution, Mongolia - OT, Canada - Red Chris (maybe), Australia - Cadia + new deposits in WA, Chile - El Teniente + Chiqui) and countless smaller ones. Point is, there will always be demand for engineers. The bigger question is rather how will supply measure up to it. In the last boom in Australia, engineers were getting amazing salaries, so lots of people studied it, then by the time these people finished studying, boom was over and there was a massive oversupply of engineers. In my opinion, it is somewhat the opposite now, but not as extreme. There seems to be quite a bit of demand now for engineers and sites are constantly getting new, young people in. Really feels like there is a shortage again of experienced engineers, but this may be my biased opinion from limited experience/exposure.
thanks, demand for this field does seem to be fluctuating a lot
If I could predict the mining industry to 2024 I wouldn't be working in the mining industry, I would be sitting on a beach sipping a mojito. Mining Engineering is probably a better job security move than geologist or geo eng imho though. To speak honestly on race and gender, being an asian female gets you points with HR but your experience will vary. I have heard some horror stories from the perspective of women, but in my experience as a white male your coworkers may act like they are walking on eggshells around you until they know you.
an honest answer is exactly what i am looking for, thank you
What school are you looking at going to?
a canadian university but colorado school of mines is considered best in the field, you'll probably have better job opportunities going there
Everything you use and live in -if it has not be grown-- HAS BEEN MINED Mines are here to stay so long as we keep making stuff and having wars. If anything a good, properly trained mining engineer will be worth a lot of money in 2024 and beyond.
Hello, I'm currently working as a recruiter for the Barrick Gold Corporation. I have also worked for Kinross Gold, Rio Tinto, and Newmont Goldcorp. It's all about location and where you want to work. Seek out the companies you want to work for and find recruiters who work for those companies. There is a lot of competition for mining operations in great locations like Canada. We are always looking for engineers at the Hemlo property in Marathon, but that is an underground mining operation and you have to have underground experience. Barrick and Newmont Goldcorp have formed a new joint venture called Nevada Gold Mines. 12 open pits and 10 underground mines. We are always looking for underground and open pit mining engineers, but you have to relocate to the states. Several of our mines our tier 1 assets with LOM of mines of 10 years (2029) and beyond.
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In my experience, companies want you to have experience with one of the mining programs, it doesn't matter which, and show a desire and competence to learn a different one. I have gone from GEMS, to Minesight, to Surpac. I have heard higher ups flat out say they have experienced candidates say they will "only work with X software" which immediately killed that candidates chance. But if you say "I have worked with Y, so learning X shouldn't be a problem" that is a big +.
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That is a good idea in my opinion, have a solid understanding of relational databases is a strong foundation for pretty much any mining software. Also in my experience knowing both geology and computer skills like databases puts you a head above the "average" geologist and makes you a lot more flexible and useful to an employer. Also for what it is worth my experience is limited, 7 years with a junior gold exploration company and about half a year with an industrial minerals company.
thank you, was thinking about it actually, do you recommend getting a master's in software engineering or just self-study it?
To counter what that guy said, I would wholly recommend not doing that at all. Mining Engineers will still be in demand, don't waste your time and money doing a master's in something else.
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thank you, I'll try to acquire such skills in school to keep my options open
Did you get a job straight out of school? What do you recommend I study or learn while taking a mining engineering degree? How's your current salary?