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Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Engineering & architecture · SOC 17-2151

$106,220US median pay, 2025
+3.8%Projected growth, 2025–35
300Openings per year
DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

  1. Bachelor's degree
  2. Work in: mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

ProgramCodeSchools
Geological/Geophysical EngineeringCIP 14.390116
Mining and Mineral EngineeringCIP 14.210114
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental EngineeringCIP 14.08026

See the 26 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?
Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers make?
The US median is $106,220 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?
Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?
26 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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