Extraction and Preparation Miners
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Job description
These individuals drill and blast to extract coal and ore from underground mines. They build tunnels, passageways, and shafts to facilitate mining. They work for:
- Underground coal and mineral mines
- Specialized contractors in mine, shaft, and tunnel construction
Environment
- Equipment, machinery, tools
- Hazardous chemical
- Nontoxic dust
- Uncontrolled ambient temperature
- Hazardous workplaces
- Noise
- Falling objects
- Vibration
Main tasks
- Install and use drills to dig blast holes.
- Assess geological formations.
- Build underground passageways.
- Blast coal, rock, or ore and remove unstable blocks from walls and ceilings.
- Place explosive charges, set fuses, and detonate explosives.
- Operate equipment used to load and transport ore.
- Extend and install air and water lines.
- Inspect mine shafts.
- Operate winches that transport personnel, equipment, and materials.
Advancement and mobility
- There is some mobility between this group and other mining occupational groups.
- Mobility is possible within certain types of mining operations.
- Experience leads to supervisory positions.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $22.95
- Median
- $40.00
- Maximum
- $60.00
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Good
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
3,500
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 3.2% Female
- 96.8% Male
Not available.
- 3.2% Female
- 96.8% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$101,000
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 2185% of jobs
-
NAICS 3213% of jobs
-
NAICS 233% of jobs
-
NAICS 3311% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 561% of jobs
-
Others7% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 2185% of jobs
-
NAICS 3213% of jobs
-
NAICS 233% of jobs
-
NAICS 3311% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 561% of jobs
-
Others7% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
Secondary
DVS in extraction de minerai
Code : 5368
Placement rate: 92.3%
0.8% of graduates pursue further studies
DVS in forage au diamant
Code : 5253
Placement rate: 69.4%
21.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- General Explosives Permit for personnel working in an underground mine.
Sometimes required
- Experience as a Mine Labourer or Mine Worker is usually required.
- A blasting certificate may be required.
- A company permit or certificate is usually required.
- First aid and CPR training may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Monitoring operations
- Operations and control
- Equipment maintenance
- Critical thought
- Result evaluation
- Quality control analysis
- Coordination
- Troubleshooting
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Solving complex problems
- Equipment selection
Abilities
- Control accuracy
- Limb coordination
- Hand-arm stability
- Reaction time
- Manual dexterity
- Depth perception
- Speed control
- Near vision
- Time sharing
- Perception speed
- Oral comprehension
- Information organization
- Deductive reasoning
- Hearing sensitivity
- Awareness of issues
- Distance vision
- Visualization
- Digital dexterity
- Colour perception and distinction
- Inductive reasoning
- Auditory attention
- Selective attention
- Speech clarity
- Written comprehension
- Written expression
- Verbal skills
- Processing flexibility
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Focussed on results
- Capacity to work in a team
- Versatility
- Rigour
- Sense of initiative
- Tolerance to stress
- Respect standards and regulations
- Assiduity and punctuality
- Commitment to quality
Interests
- Work manually
- Develop and exploit natural resources
- Exercer une activité sportive ou physique
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Official name of the NOC 83100
Underground production and development miners
Job titles
- Underground Miners
- Miner
- Chute blaster
- Driller - underground mining
- Drilling machine operator - underground mining
- Faceman/woman - coal mine
- Apprentice miner
- Hardrock miner apprentice
- Blaster - underground mining
- High-raise blaster
- Mucker - underground mining
- Downhole loader - underground mining
- Slusher operator - underground mining
- Mucking machine operator
- Loading machine operator - underground mining
- Scooptram operator
- Diesel loaderman/woman - underground mining
- Load-haul-dump (lhd) operator - underground mining
- Wagon drill operator - underground mining
- Long-hole blaster - underground mining
- Production driller
- Diamond driller - underground mining
- In-the-hole (ith) driller
- Shaft driller
- Blast hole driller - underground mining
- Long-hole driller - underground mining
- Raise driller - underground mining
- Coal miner
- Shaft inspector
- Development miner
- Production miner
- Drift miner
- Stope miner
- Potash miner
- Hardrock miner
- Soft rock miner
- Raise miner
- Core driller
- Core driller - underground mining
- Production loader operator
- Undercutter operator - underground mining
- Diamond-drill operator
- Ring drill operator
- Raise boring machine operator - underground mining
- Continuous mining machine operator
- Jumbo drill operator
- Bolter operator - underground mining
- Mining machine operator
- Roadheader operator
- Jack leg drill operator - underground mining
- Stope driller - underground mining
- Hydraulic coal monitor operator
- Scoop operator - underground mining
- In-hole drill operator - underground mining
- Cutting machine operator - underground mining
- Longwall coal shearer operator
- Hoist operator - underground mining
- Rockbolter
- Brine well tender
- Drift driller - underground mining
- Blockholer - underground mining
- Hang-up blaster - underground mining
- Powderman/woman - underground mining
Skill type
Natural resources, agriculture and related production
Last update: January 29, 2026
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