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Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2151

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$106,220
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
500
Proj. Annual Openings
6,080
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-0.5%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 17-2151 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
51/100
Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$106,220
H-1B offered wage $100,000; LCAs are filings.
Projected openings
500
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +0.7%.
Observed/proxy demand
114
FY2025 certified LCAs; 766 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Complex Problem SolvingReading ComprehensionWritingSpeakingCritical Thinking

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure4.5%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

47.9%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI48.1%
AI ability · AIOE95.7%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne14%

AI could do ~48.1% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.

Top Skills

1.Complex Problem Solving
2.Reading Comprehension
3.Writing
4.Speaking
5.Critical Thinking

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

855
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
114
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$100,000
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#187 of 776
Rank by Total Volume
H-1B filing volume, FY2016–FY2025

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

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.

Common titles: Mine Engineer, Mining Consultant, Mining Engineer, Planning Engineer, Project Engineer, Safety Engineer

Representative Tasks

  • Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel.
  • Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions.
  • Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics.
  • Select locations and plan underground or surface mining operations, specifying processes, labor usage, and equipment that will result in safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction of minerals and ores.
  • Prepare schedules, reports, and estimates of the costs involved in developing and operating mines.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Prepare technical reports for internal use.
  • Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
  • Advise others on health and safety issues.
  • Investigate safety of work environment.
  • Determine operational methods.

Tools & Technologies

Autodesk AutoCAD · hotAutodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D · hotBentley MicroStation · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotMicrosoft Access · hotMySQL · hotOracle Database · hotSAP software · hotComputer aided design and drafting CADD softwareGEO-SLOPE GeoStudio

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
4.5%
Avg AI Exposure
2
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 17-2151: 2019 — employment: 6,280, median wage: $91,160; 2020 — employment: 6,270, median wage: $93,800; 2021 — employment: 7,370, median wage: $97,090; 2022 — employment: 7,390, median wage: $97,490; 2023 — employment: 7,040, median wage: $100,640; 2025 — employment: 6,080, median wage: $106,220.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%4.5%
OutlookAverage15% Bright
Median Salary$106,220N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A