Getting into mining
There isn't one path into the industry; what you should actually do next depends heavily on where you're starting from. Pick the one below closest to your situation.
I have no experience
Most sites won't put someone straight underground or on a haul truck with zero induction, but entry-level and trainee positions exist, and they're a genuine way in. Start with a basic ticket, apply broadly, and expect labour-hire agencies to be a big part of how these roles get filled.
- Get a Cert II in Surface Extraction Operations (or your country's equivalent); many TAFEs/colleges run short courses.
- Apply directly to trainee and graduate-operator programs advertised by major employers, not just labour-hire boards.
- Consider a residential (non-FIFO) role first; they're often easier to land with no track record, and let you build references.
- Be upfront about your availability for shutdown/contract work; short-term roles are a common entry point.
I have a trade
Auto electricians, diesel fitters, boilermakers and similar trades transfer directly into mining maintenance, often at a pay premium over the equivalent role in a workshop or on a construction site.
- Highlight heavy-vehicle or plant-specific experience (not just automotive) if you have any; it's the biggest differentiator.
- Target fixed-plant maintenance and mobile-equipment maintenance roles specifically, not general maintenance ads.
- A HR licence (see below) stacks well with a trade background and opens up more roles.
- Ask about site induction and "blue card" style site-safety requirements early; they can take a few weeks to organise.
I have a heavy vehicle licence
An HR (or equivalent) licence is one of the most direct routes into an operator role: haul trucks, dozers, graders and excavators are all in constant demand, and the licence itself is often the main barrier to entry.
- Confirm your licence class matches what's being advertised: HR is the common baseline, but some roles want HC or MC.
- Simulator-based training (some employers run their own) can substitute for on-machine hours if you're light on experience.
- FIFO operator roles are usually the highest-volume category on this site, worth filtering by roster if you have a preference.
- Residential haul-truck roles exist too, particularly near major regional centres, if FIFO isn't for you.
I'm a graduate
Mining engineering, geology, metallurgy and environmental science graduates are recruited through structured vacation and graduate programs; timing matters more here than in most other pathways.
- Vacation programs (typically applied for 6-12 months ahead) are the main pipeline into graduate roles; apply early.
- If you've missed the vacation-program window, direct graduate-engineer and graduate-geologist ads still run separately.
- A relevant placement or thesis topic (even unpaid) is worth more on a mining application than general academic results alone.
- Rotational graduate programs (multiple sites/disciplines in year one) are common; ask about this in interviews.
I'm an experienced operator or professional
If you've already got runs on the board, the main decisions are usually roster, commodity, and FIFO vs residential, not whether you can get hired at all.
- Compare rosters directly: a 2:1 and an 8:6 pay and live very differently even at the same base rate.
- Commodity experience transfers more than most people expect (e.g. underground gold to underground copper), but not always to processing/metallurgy.
- Use salary data to benchmark before you apply, not after an offer; see the salary guide linked below.
- Verified employers are flagged on every job ad here, worth filtering to them if you're being selective.
Once you know roughly what you're aiming for, the commodities guide and salary guide are worth a look before you apply.