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Mining Engineering

Instructional content is defined in code 14.2101.

Types of Degrees Mining Engineering Majors Are Earning

Those studying Mining Engineering may pursue 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

Coursework for Mining Engineering emphasize 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

This major prepares you for careers needing 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

The cognitive and physical 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 Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mining Engineering graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• Theoretical Mechanics Teacher
• Design Teacher
• Applied Mechanics Teacher
• College Professor
• Geological Engineering Teacher
• Technical Professor
• Marine Engineering Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Lecturer
• Metallurgy Teacher
• Lecturer
• Engineering Professor
• Mechanical Engineering Lecturer
• Mechanical Engineering Teacher
• Industrial Engineering Professor

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?

College Scorecard reports 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

Distance learning 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?

Looking purely at 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering	197,615
Mechanical Engineering	42,939
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	26,760
Civil Engineering	20,005
Computer Engineering	19,986
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	13,914
Engineering, General	13,411
Chemical Engineering	10,939
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	9,596
Industrial Engineering	8,533
Systems Engineering	3,956
Engineering, Other	3,529

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.