Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers
What Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers Do
Conduct subsurface surveys to identify the characteristics of potential land or mining development sites. May specify the ground support systems, processes, and equipment for safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction or underground construction activities. May inspect areas for unsafe geological conditions, equipment, and working conditions. May design, implement, and coordinate mine safety programs.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1.7%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.5/5
- Mathematicsimportance 4.4/5
- English Languageimportance 3.6/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.6/5
- Designimportance 3.6/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.3/5
- Physicsimportance 3.3/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.9/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Telephone Conversations4.3/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.2/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.2/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.2/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Computer and Information Systems Managers93% skill match
- Chemical Engineers93% skill match
- Materials Engineers92% skill match
- Commercial and Industrial Designers90% skill match
- Computer and Information Research Scientists89% skill match
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval89% skill match
- Physicists89% skill match
- Microbiologists88% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 4.0/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.8/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.8/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.5/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Instructingimportance 3.1/5
- Operations Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Business software applications
- Carlson SurvCADD
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- CyberArk
- GEO-SLOPE GeoStudio
- Gemcom PCBC
- Gemcom Surpac
- Gemcom Whittle
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
- Intellectual Curiosity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- InvestigativeHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Beckley, WV80.38× national avg
- 2Charleston, WV17.33× national avg
- 3Anchorage, AK11.22× national avg
- 4Tucson, AZ9.38× national avg
- 5Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO8.31× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Industrial EngineersLateral Move
- Chemical EngineersLateral Move
- Materials EngineersLateral Move
- Computer and Information Systems ManagersCareer Change
See the full career path from Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (Pomona, CA)grads earn ~$97,790
- Texas A&M University-College Station (College Station, TX)grads earn ~$92,433
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA)grads earn ~$88,142
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
- Stanford University (Stanford, CA)grads earn ~$112,118
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO)grads earn ~$93,437
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO)
- Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO)grads earn ~$88,484
- Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO)grads earn ~$102,007
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO)grads earn ~$75,259