Career Details
Career Details
  • Your closest Community College is
    • Update The Zipcode (N/A)
Use this dropdown to update your zip code

Career Details

Return to the Search

17-2151.00 - Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers


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.


Key Facts
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
8,300
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
8,800
Estimate
Change in Employment
500.0
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+6.4%
Estimate
Tasks
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions.
  • Select locations and plan underground or surface mining operations, specifying processes, labor usage, and equipment that will result in safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction of minerals and ores.
  • Examine maps, deposits, drilling locations, or mines to determine the location, size, accessibility, contents, value, and potential profitability of mineral, oil, and gas deposits.
  • Prepare schedules, reports, and estimates of the costs involved in developing and operating mines.
  • Monitor mine production rates to assess operational effectiveness.
  • Design, implement, and monitor the development of mines, facilities, systems, or equipment.
  • Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics.
  • Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel.
  • Supervise, train, and evaluate technicians, technologists, survey personnel, engineers, scientists or other mine personnel.
Supplemental
  • Implement and coordinate mine safety programs, including the design and maintenance of protective and rescue equipment and safety devices.
  • Test air to detect toxic gases and recommend measures to remove them, such as installation of ventilation shafts.
  • Design, develop, and implement computer applications for use in mining operations such as mine design, modeling, or mapping or for monitoring mine conditions.
  • Select or devise materials-handling methods and equipment to transport ore, waste materials, and mineral products efficiently and economically.
  • Devise solutions to problems of land reclamation and water and air pollution, such as methods of storing excavated soil and returning exhausted mine sites to natural states.
  • Lay out, direct, and supervise mine construction operations, such as the construction of shafts and tunnels.
  • Evaluate data to develop new mining products, equipment, or processes.
  • Conduct or direct mining experiments to test or prove research findings.
  • Design mining and mineral treatment equipment and machinery in collaboration with other engineering specialists.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Engineering and Technology
  • 89%
    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
 Mathematics
  • 89%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 English Language
  • 71%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Production and Processing
  • 71%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Design
  • 71%
    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
 Administration and Management
  • 67%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Clerical
  • 66%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Physics
  • 65%
    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
 Economics and Accounting
  • 64%
    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 63%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Building and Construction
  • 58%
    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
 Geography
  • 58%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
 Education and Training
  • 55%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Law and Government
  • 55%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 55%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Transportation
  • 53%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
 Chemistry
  • 53%
    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 51%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Personnel and Human Resources
  • 51%
    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Rock and strata measuring equipment
  • Clinometers
 Computer printers
  • Color plotting printers
  • Digital plotters
 Surveillance and detection equipment
  • Combustible gas detectors
 Computer data input devices
  • Computer scanners
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Laptop computers
  • Personal computers
 Geophysical and geotechnical instruments
  • Directional compasses
  • Stratum compasses
 Forming tools
  • Geological hammers
 Audio and visual equipment
  • Global positioning system GPS receivers
 Calculating machines and accessories
  • Handheld calculators
 Measuring and layout tools
  • Measuring tapes
 Media storage devices
  • Universal serial bus USB flash drives
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Industry specific software
  • Autodesk AutoCADHOT
  • Carlson SurvCADDHOT
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD softwareHOT
  • Gemcom PCBC
  • Gemcom Surpac
  • Gemcom Whittle
  • GEO-SLOPE GeoStudio
  • Hellman & Schofield MP3
  • Maptek Vulcan
  • MineSight
  • Modular Mining Systems DISPATCH
  • Ohio Automation Integrated Computer Aided Mine Planning System ICAMPS
  • Overland Conveyor Belt Analyst
  • PromineHOT
  • RungePincockMinarco XPAC
  • Schlumberger PIPESIM
  • Statistical software
  • Trimble Geomatics Office
  • Ventsim
 Security and protection software
  • CyberArk
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP softwareHOT
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOneHOT
  • RungePincockMinarco XERAS
  • SAP softwareHOT
 Data management and query software
  • GijimaAst Mining Solutions International Mine2-4D
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
  • Mincom MineScape
  • Minemax iGantt
  • MySQLHOT
  • Oracle softwareHOT
  • Structure query language SQL
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Word processing software
 Business function specific software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • Microsoft ProjectHOT
  • Microsoft SharePointHOT
  • Oracle Primavera Systems
 Information exchange software
  • Microsoft OutlookHOT
  • Site mapping software
 Operating environment software
  • Microsoft WindowsHOT
 Development software
  • VMwareHOT
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Wytheville Community College
 Programs