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Mining Engineering

Types of Degrees Mining Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Mining Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	151
Master’s Degree	110
Doctor’s Degree	24

What Mining Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Mining Engineering build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Mining Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Mining Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Mining Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Mining Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Mining Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mining Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mining Engineering graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Engineering Professor
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Professor
• Mechanical Drawing Teacher
• Design Teacher
• Applied Mechanics Teacher
• Television Engineering Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Surveying Teacher
• Metallography Teacher
• Refrigeration Engineering Teacher
• Metallurgy Teacher
• Electronic Science Teacher
• Robotics Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Mining Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	36.2%
Bachelor’s degree	23.9%
Post-master’s certificate	11.6%
Master’s degree	11.2%
Post-doctoral training	10.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.3%
First professional degree	1.1%
Postsecondary certificate	0.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%
Some college courses	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mining Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 80% of Mining Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	57	20.0%
Men	228	80.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Mining Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	143	50.2%
Asian	7	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	23	8.1%
Black or African American	8	2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.4%
Two or More Races	2	0.7%
Race Unknown	10	3.5%
International Students	89	31.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mining Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Mining Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$83,507
4 years	$91,559
5 years	$100,389

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $100,389 — roughly 20% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Mining Engineering Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Mining Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Mining Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Mining Engineering graduates earn a median of $91,559 four years after completion — roughly 141% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Engineering	14
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	14.02
Agricultural Engineering	14.03
Architectural Engineering	14.04
Biochemical Engineering	14.43
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.06
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Civil Engineering	14.08
Computer Engineering	14.09
Construction Engineering	14.33

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.