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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

17-2151 Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Conduct sub-surface 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. Excludes "Petroleum Engineers" (17-2171).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
5,780 5.5 % $47.32 $98,420 2.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $26.23 $33.79 $44.35 $58.67 $72.61
Annual Wage (2) $54,550 $70,290 $92,250 $122,020 $151,030


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,550 0.11 $47.08 $97,930
Metal Ore Mining 890 2.21 $44.92 $93,440
Coal Mining 640 1.26 $42.27 $87,910
Management of Companies and Enterprises 430 0.02 $48.40 $100,670
Support Activities for Mining 380 0.12 $51.76 $107,670

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Metal Ore Mining 890 2.21 $44.92 $93,440
Coal Mining 640 1.26 $42.27 $87,910
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 240 0.25 $42.89 $89,210
Oil and Gas Extraction 340 0.24 $59.51 $123,780
Support Activities for Mining 380 0.12 $51.76 $107,670

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 160 0.02 $61.01 $126,890
Oil and Gas Extraction 340 0.24 $59.51 $123,780
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 330 0.01 $55.44 $115,310
Support Activities for Mining 380 0.12 $51.76 $107,670
Employment Services 50 (7) $51.57 $107,270


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 500 0.03 0.73 $59.16 $123,060
Colorado 440 0.17 4.16 $51.99 $108,130
Arizona 410 0.15 3.64 $39.02 $81,150
Pennsylvania 360 0.06 1.52 $43.51 $90,510
Nevada 350 0.26 6.47 $41.17 $85,640




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 150 0.57 14.33 $45.19 $93,990
Alaska 130 0.40 10.06 $53.90 $112,110
New Mexico 240 0.29 7.33 $67.37 $140,130
Nevada 350 0.26 6.47 $41.17 $85,640
Utah 340 0.23 5.86 $44.99 $93,580




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Mexico 240 0.29 7.33 $67.37 $140,130
California 500 0.03 0.73 $59.16 $123,060
Florida 150 0.02 0.44 $54.42 $113,200
Alaska 130 0.40 10.06 $53.90 $112,110
Colorado 440 0.17 4.16 $51.99 $108,130





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Salt Lake City, UT 260 0.37 9.26 $45.72 $95,090
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 230 0.16 3.94 $50.32 $104,660
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 210 0.10 2.61 $34.67 $72,110
Oklahoma City, OK 210 0.33 8.38 (8) (8)
Pittsburgh, PA 160 0.14 3.52 $46.58 $96,880
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 150 0.05 1.25 (8) (8)
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 120 0.23 5.67 $49.30 $102,550
Bakersfield, CA 110 0.34 8.62 $48.69 $101,270
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 90 0.01 0.24 $43.94 $91,390
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 60 0.01 0.26 $64.52 $134,210




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wheeling, WV-OH 50 0.79 19.70 $46.78 $97,300
Salt Lake City, UT 260 0.37 9.26 $45.72 $95,090
Bakersfield, CA 110 0.34 8.62 $48.69 $101,270
Oklahoma City, OK 210 0.33 8.38 (8) (8)
Tuscaloosa, AL 30 0.30 7.55 $43.19 $89,840
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 120 0.23 5.67 $49.30 $102,550
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 230 0.16 3.94 $50.32 $104,660
Reno, NV 40 0.15 3.77 $45.23 $94,080
Pittsburgh, PA 160 0.14 3.52 $46.58 $96,880
Tucson, AZ 40 0.11 2.81 $43.61 $90,720




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 60 0.01 0.26 $64.52 $134,210
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA (8) (8) (8) $63.13 $131,310
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 60 0.04 1.08 $60.45 $125,740
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 30 0.02 0.40 $53.99 $112,310
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 50 0.03 0.85 $52.88 $110,000
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (8) (8) (8) $51.63 $107,380
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 230 0.16 3.94 $50.32 $104,660
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 120 0.23 5.67 $49.30 $102,550
Bakersfield, CA 110 0.34 8.62 $48.69 $101,270
Wheeling, WV-OH 50 0.79 19.70 $46.78 $97,300

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 300 3.07 76.88 $40.38 $83,990
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 130 1.42 35.54 $43.76 $91,020
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 80 0.84 21.04 $44.71 $93,000
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 80 0.81 20.20 $46.27 $96,230
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 80 0.75 18.69 $57.18 $118,940

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 300 3.07 76.88 $40.38 $83,990
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 130 1.42 35.54 $43.76 $91,020
East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 70 1.08 27.00 (8) (8)
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 80 0.84 21.04 $44.71 $93,000
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 80 0.81 20.20 $46.27 $96,230

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 80 0.75 18.69 $57.18 $118,940
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 0.47 11.75 $49.55 $103,050
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 80 0.81 20.20 $46.27 $96,230
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 80 0.84 21.04 $44.71 $93,000
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 130 1.42 35.54 $43.76 $91,020


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019