What does a mining engineer do (and what the job is like)

I am a mining engineer, and the question behind this guide is simple: what, exactly, does a mining engineer do? The short answer: they take care of the whole path of the ore, from the discovery of the deposit to the closure of the mine. The long answer is right below.

In short

• Mining engineering covers mineral exploration, mining (extraction) and mineral processing, as well as the planning and closure of mines.
• In Brazil, the duties of the profession are defined by Confea, the Federal Council of Engineering.
• There are several specialties: open-pit mining, underground mining, processing, planning, design and mineral exploration.
• To practice in Brazil, you need a degree in Mining Engineering and registration with the Crea (the regional engineering council) of your state.

What a mining engineer does

In practice, the work splits into broad fronts that follow the stages of a mine:

• Mineral exploration: helping assess deposits, together with geologists, to learn what lies underground and whether it is worth developing.
• Mine planning: deciding how the mine will be dug over the years, in what sequence and with what equipment.
• Mining operations: following extraction day to day, in an open pit or an underground mine, including drilling, blasting and hauling.
• Mineral processing: designing and running the processes that turn raw ore into a concentrated product.
• Safety and environment: ensuring the stability of slopes, stockpiles and dams, and complying with occupational safety rules and environmental requirements.
• Mine closure: planning the rehabilitation of the area and the future use of the land.

What the law says about the profession

In Brazil, the activities of each engineering field are defined by Confea Resolution No. 218/1973. Article 14 deals with mining engineers and includes among their duties activities related to prospecting and mineral exploration, mining, ore processing and the opening of underground workings, among others.

Confea’s own documents cite this article as the basis for mining engineers’ work in mining and, together with geologists, in mineral exploration.

The specialties of the profession

The Brazilian Classification of Occupations (CBO), used in employment records, groups several occupations within the mining engineer family. Among them:

Specialty	Main focus
Open-pit mining	Extraction in pits, from the surface
Underground mining	Extraction through tunnels, ramps and shafts
Processing	Treatment and concentration of ore
Planning	Mining sequence and the mine’s technical and economic models
Design	Layout of structures and operations
Mineral exploration	Assessment of mineral deposits

According to the CBO description of the planning mining engineer, this professional prepares the planning of projects for the prospecting and extraction of mineral resources, builds geo-economic models and provides technical consulting, always complying with mining, occupational health and safety, and environmental protection laws.

Where a mining engineer works

The main fields of work are:

• mining companies, at the mines themselves and in planning offices;
• consulting and engineering firms, which carry out studies, designs and technical reports;
• equipment and service suppliers for mining;
• government bodies, such as the National Mining Agency (ANM), the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB) and environmental agencies;
• universities and research centers.

How much a mining engineer earns

Salaries vary a lot with region, company size, specialty and experience. As a reference, Portal Salário, which uses data from Novo Caged (Brazil’s record of hirings and dismissals of formally employed workers), reported the following for the planning mining engineer in October 2026, in Brazilian reais:

	Monthly amount
Average	R$ 13,947.49
Median	R$ 13,393
Range	from R$ 12,162.47 to R$ 19,109.94

These figures come from 246 professionals hired or dismissed over 12 months, only under the CLT regime (Brazil’s standard formal employment contract). They do not include people who work as contractors through their own company, nor benefits. So they should be read as a reference, not a rule.

What it takes to become a mining engineer

1. Earn a degree in Mining Engineering, which combines courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology and engineering.
2. Get professional registration with the Crea of the state where you will work. Only with it can you sign off on designs and take technical responsibility.
3. Keep studying: mine planning software, geotechnics, dam safety and the environment are areas that are constantly evolving.

Why I write this blog

Mining is one of the most important and least understood activities in Brazil. As a mining engineer, I want to help explain, with data and in simple terms, what lies behind the news, the controversies and the minerals in our everyday lives. Start with Rare earths: what they are, what they are used for and why Brazil matters and Mining myths and facts.

Frequently asked questions

What does a mining engineer do?

They work across the whole mining cycle: mineral exploration, mine planning and operations, ore processing, safety, environment and mine closure.

What is the difference between a mining engineer and a geologist?

Put simply, a geologist studies how rocks and deposits form and what they are made of, while a mining engineer plans and carries out the extraction and processing of the ore. In mineral exploration, the two work together.

How much does a mining engineer earn?

It depends on the specialty, the region and experience. As a reference, Novo Caged data compiled by Portal Salário showed an average of about R$ 13,900 per month for planning mining engineers in Brazil, in October 2026, under the CLT regime.

Do you need Crea registration to work as a mining engineer?

Yes, in Brazil. To practice the profession and take technical responsibility, you need to be registered with the Crea of your state.

Where can a mining engineer work?

At mining companies, consulting firms, engineering companies, equipment suppliers, government bodies such as Brazil’s ANM and SGB, and at universities and research centers.