Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
None
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers, work in a specialized field with relatively small national employment of 7,000. The national median annual salary of $101,020 indicates that these roles can offer strong financial rewards for those who qualify. Projected employment growth of 0.7% suggests that the field is expected to be relatively stable over the projection period. This occupation typically requires a bachelor’s degree, along with strengths in critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, science, and computers and information technology. Success in this career also draws on problem solving and decision making, project management, and strong communication skills such as speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Leadership plus creativity and innovation round out the core skill profile, pointing to roles that blend technical expertise with coordination and judgment. For students and professionals interested in a focused engineering path with defined technical and analytical demands, this occupation offers a structured, specialized option.
The national median annual salary for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers, is $101,020, placing the occupation firmly in a six-figure range at the median level. Within specific locations, pay can vary considerably. Among top states by CareerGPS opportunity score, median salaries range from $82,200 in New York to $158,130 in California. In Texas and Virginia, median salaries cluster around $100,580 and $104,960, close to the national median, while Colorado sits slightly lower at $96,820. Metro-level data shows even higher median salaries in some areas, such as $173,790 in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area and $166,770 in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom. Other metros, including Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, also show six-figure medians. Overall, the data indicates that location decisions can have a significant impact on earning potential within this field.
National employment for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers, is 7,000, indicating a relatively small field in terms of total positions. The projected employment growth rate is 0.7%. This same 0.7% projected growth rate appears across the listed top states and metro areas by CareerGPS opportunity score, suggesting a generally consistent growth expectation in those highlighted regions. Annual openings are listed as 0, which emphasizes that opportunities may be limited and that positions may be relatively few in number at any given time. For job seekers, this means that while the occupation offers defined technical and salary characteristics, it is also tightly sized, and competition for available roles may be an important practical consideration. Individuals pursuing this career should be prepared to navigate a field with modest projected growth and a constrained volume of openings.
Location plays a major role in the career landscape for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers. Among states, California stands out with a median salary of $158,130, employment of 520, and the highest CareerGPS opportunity score of 67.38. New York, with a lower median salary of $82,200 and employment of 50, still has a strong opportunity score of 65.78, suggesting it remains a notable option despite the lower pay. Colorado offers employment of 670—higher than California’s listed figure—with a median salary of $96,820 and opportunity score of 56.97. Virginia and Texas both provide median salaries around or just above $100,000 with moderate employment levels. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont combines a very high median salary of $173,790 with a top opportunity score of 68.75, while Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom also offers a high median salary of $166,770. Denver-Aurora-Centennial shows larger employment (520) with a more moderate median salary of $93,100. These differences highlight that some locations emphasize high pay, others higher employment counts, and some a balance of both.
Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers, typically need a bachelor’s degree. This requirement signals that the occupation is structured as a professional engineering role with a formal educational foundation. The skill profile reinforces the importance of a strong academic and technical background. Critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, and science are central, indicating that quantitative and evidence-based reasoning are key to the work. Competence with computers and information technology is also emphasized, along with problem solving and decision making. Project management skills suggest that these engineers may often be responsible for coordinating tasks and resources. Writing and reading, as well as speaking and listening, indicate the need for clear communication in technical and collaborative settings. Leadership, creativity, and innovation round out the profile, pointing to roles where guiding others and generating new ideas are valuable. For students planning their education, focusing on these abilities aligns well with the typical expectations of this career.
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