Mining & resources salary guide
How much do FIFO, DIDO, and residential mining jobs actually pay? It depends heavily on commodity, site type, and roster: a 2:1 swing on a remote iron ore or gold operation pays differently to a residential coal role, and international postings add currency and cost-of-living into the mix. Use this guide to see what's typical for each commodity before you apply, then compare it against the roster and site details on the job ad itself.
Typical pay ranges by commodity, drawn from live job ads posted on FiFoDiDo, not a formal industry survey. Figures are shown separately by currency and pay period rather than converted, and only once there are enough ads to be meaningful.
We're still building this guide
Typical pay ranges appear here automatically once a commodity has at least 3 live job ads with salary data attached. In the meantime, you can browse every current job ad directly.
Browse all job ads →Or browse by role
What you do day to day (haul truck, drill & blast, trades, geology…) moves pay more than the commodity does.
Browse salaries by role →Industry benchmarks
A public reference point for context while live job-ad data builds up: national average mining pay vs. the whole-economy average, from each country's own statistics agency. Figures are shown in each country's own currency and period rather than converted, and only for countries where a credible official source exists; not every mining country is covered yet.
Australia: mining vs. all industries
Mining
$3,224.20/wk
All industries
$2,083.70/wk
Mining Industry Award 2020 (MA000011) sets a Level 1 (Basic) minimum of $1,047.30/week before allowances; most employers pay well above this, especially FIFO/DIDO and enterprise-agreement sites.
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics: Average Weekly Earnings, Australia (full-time adult ordinary time earnings, May 2026, released 13 August 2026), Fair Work Ombudsman: Mining Industry Award 2020 (MA000011) (as of 1 July 2026). Checked 6 September 2026.
General pay guide
Mining, oil & gas, and broader resources · USD, annual, total cash · Includes base salary, typical allowances and bonuses where available
A rough, general-interest picture of how mining and resources pay compares across countries and roles, transcribed from a general industry pay guide that mixes official statistics with industry salary surveys and recruitment reports. Unlike the sourced benchmarks above, these figures haven't been individually verified against a single citable source each -- treat them as a general sense of scale, not a precise or guaranteed number.
Mining, global average
$165,600/yr
$3,174/week
All industries, global average
$106,500/yr
$2,051/week
| Country / region | Mining | Oil & gas | Combined resources | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AustraliaOceania | $110k – $250k | $120k – $300k | $130k – $350k | Highest pay globally. FIFO/remote premiums common. |
| CanadaNorth America | $90k – $200k | $110k – $260k | $110k – $280k | Strong oil & gas sector (Alberta). High remote allowances. |
| United StatesNorth America | $80k – $180k | $100k – $250k | $100k – $250k | High pay in shale, offshore and LNG. Large regional variation. |
| ChileLatin America | $60k – $140k | $80k – $180k | $80k – $200k | Strong copper sector. Good benefits, especially in mining. |
| BrazilLatin America | $50k – $120k | $70k – $160k | $70k – $170k | Growing offshore sector. Lower pay than AU/US/CA. |
| PeruLatin America | $50k – $110k | $70k – $150k | $70k – $160k | Major copper and gold production. |
| MexicoLatin America | $50k – $110k | $70k – $140k | $70k – $150k | Onshore and offshore opportunities. Competitive benefits. |
| EU (average)Europe | $55k – $120k | $70k – $160k | $70k – $160k | Wide variation by country (Norway, UK higher; others lower). |
| ChinaAsia | $40k – $100k | $50k – $120k | $50k – $120k | Large workforce. Lower pay than Western markets. |
| IndiaAsia | $25k – $70k | $40k – $100k | $40k – $90k | Growing sector. Higher pay for international projects. |
| Southeast Asia (avg)Asia | $25k – $70k | $40k – $90k | $40k – $90k | Varies by country (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines etc.). |
| South AfricaAfrica | $30k – $80k | $50k – $120k | $50k – $120k | Strong mining sector. Good senior-level opportunities. |
| Other African countries (avg)Africa | $20k – $60k | $35k – $90k | $35k – $80k | Large variation. Higher pay for expats and skilled roles. |
| Role / level | Entry (0-2 yrs) | Early career (3-5 yrs) | Mid-career (5-10 yrs) | Senior (10+ yrs) | Manager | GM / exec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations (e.g. Mine/Field Ops) | $60k – $90k | $80k – $120k | $120k – $180k | $180k – $250k | $250k – $400k | $400k+ |
| Engineering (Mining/O&G) | $70k – $100k | $100k – $150k | $150k – $220k | $220k – $320k | $320k – $500k | $500k+ |
| Geology | $60k – $90k | $90k – $130k | $130k – $190k | $190k – $280k | $280k – $420k | $420k+ |
| Maintenance | $50k – $80k | $70k – $110k | $110k – $160k | $160k – $230k | $230k – $350k | $350k+ |
| Processing/Metallurgy | $55k – $85k | $80k – $120k | $120k – $170k | $170k – $250k | $250k – $380k | $380k+ |
| Projects/Commercial | $60k – $90k | $90k – $140k | $140k – $200k | $200k – $300k | $300k – $450k | $450k+ |
| HSE/ESG | $50k – $80k | $70k – $110k | $110k – $160k | $160k – $230k | $230k – $350k | $350k+ |
Key takeaways
- ✓Australia, Canada and the US pay the highest salaries overall, especially in oil & gas and remote/FIFO roles.
- ✓Middle East (not in table) is even higher for oil & gas, with tax-free packages and housing/flight allowances.
- ✓Chile, Peru and parts of Africa offer strong pay in mining, particularly for specialised roles.
- ✓China, India and Southeast Asia have lower average pay, but large career and progression opportunities.
- ✓Total packages (not just base salary) matter – include bonuses, allowances, housing, travel and tax benefits.
What affects pay
- Location: Remote, offshore and high-risk locations pay more.
- Roster / FIFO: Often includes higher base, allowances, time-in-lieu.
- Expatriate packages: Typically include housing, flights, schooling and tax benefits.
- Commodity prices: Salaries rise and fall with commodity cycles.
- Company type: Majors, mid-tiers, contractors and local operators all differ.
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020), Fair Work Ombudsman (2026), and various industry salary surveys and recruitment reports (2024-2026). Figures are general estimates for reference only, not verified against a single official source the way the benchmarks above are. Checked 6 September 2026.