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Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers
Lightly edited
AI performs some of this work. Most of it still needs a person. The BLS expects 3.8% more of these jobs by 2035, faster than the 3.5% average.
- Rank
- #142 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +3.8% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $106,220 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 6,200 in the US, with about 300 openings a year
The work, 24 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
AI does this: Determine operational methods or procedures11%
AI performed this in about 1 in 461 Copilot conversations and completed it 93% of the time.
Still yours: Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance8%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Present research or technical information7%
AI performed this in about 1 in 30 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
AI does this: Select materials or equipment for operations or projects7%
AI performed this in about 1 in 529 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
Still yours: Inspect facilities or equipment5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Design industrial systems or equipment5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Plan work activities4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 720 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Estimate project development or operational costs4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Schedule operational activities4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Read documents or materials to inform work processes4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 214 Copilot conversations and completed it 87% of the time.
Still yours: Design structures or facilities4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Train others on operational or work procedures4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 348 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Supervise personnel activities4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Coordinate regulatory compliance activities3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Resolve personnel or operational problems3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Design computer or information systems or applications3%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 938 conversations, and it got them there 85% of the time.
AI helps with this: Investigate organizational or operational problems3%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,383 conversations, and it got them there 86% of the time.
Still yours: Advise others on workplace health or safety issues3%
AI does this in desk jobs, but in this one it is mostly hands-on.
Still yours: Direct construction or extraction activities3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Develop operational or technical procedures or standards2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,089 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
AI helps with this: Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 903 conversations, and it got them there 86% of the time.
AI helps with this: Research organizational behavior, processes, or performance2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,049 conversations, and it got them there 89% of the time.
AI helps with this: Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 25 conversations, and it got them there 90% of the time. In this job the work is hands-on, so AI can only assist.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 104 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
About 300 openings a year, from growth and from people who retire or move on.
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 35% of the workPetroleum Engineers28% AI does, against 39% here+2% by 2035 · $144,910 · Bachelor’s degree
- Shares 34% of the workMaterials Engineers26% AI does, against 39% here+7.5% by 2035 · $112,860 · Bachelor’s degree
- Shares 34% of the workCommercial Pilots16% AI does, against 39% here+5.2% by 2035 · $123,220 · Postsecondary certificate
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the Work front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.23, higher than 75% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 17-2151 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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