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Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 17-2151 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$106,226
$51.07/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Mining and Geological Engineers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$67K
P25$85K
P50$106K
P75$137K
P90$170K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $106,226 to $136,594 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Mining and Geological Engineers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 5.1% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.5 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers is $106,226 per year ($51.07/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $85,280 and $136,594 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $169,998 per year. There are approximately 6,080 mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+0.7%
Little or no change
Annual openings
400
per year, on avg
Workforce today
7K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
2K$97,420
Metal Ore Mining
NAICS 212200
1K$102,130
Coal Mining
NAICS 212100
620$104,050
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
480$145,020
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
350$131,660
Wage range across top 5 industries: $97,420 to $145,020 (49% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$32.45$67,496
P25$41.00$85,280
P50MEDIAN$51.07$106,226
P75$65.67$136,594
P90$81.73$169,998

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · professional sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.5%
Quits Rate
2.2%

Professional & Business Services openings eased to 1.30M in June (-71K), rate 5.5% -- still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%. White-collar demand is cooling at the edges but remains the tightest market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers salary?

The national median salary for Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers is $106,226 per year ($51.07/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $85,280 and $136,594 annually.

How much do top-earning mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers is $169,998 per year ($81.73/hr). The 75th percentile is $136,594 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers?

Entry-level Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers (10th percentile) earn approximately $67,496 per year ($32.45/hr). The 25th percentile is $85,280 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations
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Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
Arizona690 workersColorado670 workersCalifornia520 workersNevada470 workersWest Virginia440 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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