Australian Mining Salary Guide by Role & Seniority
Typical Total Package Ranges for FIFO and Residential Mine Site Roles — From Camp Attendant to Company Director.
How to Read These Numbers
Every figure below is an indicative total annual package in Australian dollars, including site allowances, shift loading and typical overtime — not a base rate. Ranges reflect what Australian mine sites commonly advertise and pay across iron ore, gold, coal, lithium and nickel operations. Actual offers vary by employer, commodity price cycle, roster, remoteness and how scarce your tickets are.
FIFO packages sit higher than residential packages for the same role because they carry more paid hours, remote allowances and charter travel. Residential and DIDO roles in towns like Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Muswellbrook and Moranbah pay less on paper, but you sleep at home every night and you keep your community life intact — which is why retention in residential roles is consistently better.
The qualifications column shows the relative training load required to be genuinely competitive, not the legal minimum. Sort by Least Qualifications to see the fastest doors into the industry.
| Role | Seniority | FIFO Package | Residential / DIDO | Quals Needed | Tickets & Qualifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company Director / CEO (ASX Miner) | Executive | $900k – $4.0M | $900k – $4.0M | Very High | Degree plus MBA or CA/CPA, GAICD, 20+ years industry leadership |
| General Manager — Operations / Site GM | Executive | $400k – $750k | $380k – $700k | Very High | Engineering or Geoscience degree, WA/Qld Statutory Quarry or Mine Manager ticket, 15+ years |
| Registered / Statutory Mine Manager | Management | $320k – $550k | $300k – $500k | Very High | Mining Engineering degree, First Class Mine Manager's Certificate of Competency |
| Mining Manager / Operations Manager | Management | $280k – $450k | $260k – $420k | Very High | Engineering degree, statutory ticket, Cert IV Leadership, 10+ years |
| Maintenance Manager | Management | $240k – $380k | $220k – $350k | Very High | Mechanical/Electrical degree or trade plus Diploma, asset management experience |
| Shutdown / Turnaround Manager | Management | $230k – $360k | $200k – $320k | High | Trade plus project management, Cert IV WHS, Heights, Confined Space, Gas Test |
| Production / Mining Superintendent | Management | $220k – $340k | $200k – $310k | High | Engineering degree or extensive operations background, statutory supervisor tickets |
| Senior Mining Engineer | Technical | $200k – $320k | $185k – $290k | Very High | Mining Engineering degree, RPEQ or Chartered status, Vulcan/Deswik proficiency |
| Electrical Supervisor / HV Switching Coordinator | Supervisory | $190k – $300k | $175k – $270k | Very High | Electrical trade, unrestricted Electrical Licence, HV Switching, Cert IV Frontline |
| Senior Geologist (Production) | Technical | $180k – $280k | $165k – $255k | Very High | Geology degree, MAIG/AusIMM membership, 8+ years mine geology |
| Drill & Blast Supervisor | Supervisory | $175k – $260k | $160k – $235k | High | Shotfirer's Licence, Explosives Licence, Cert IV Frontline Management |
| Maintenance Supervisor | Supervisory | $170k – $250k | $155k – $225k | High | Heavy Diesel or Electrical trade, Cert IV Leadership, isolation authority |
| Production Supervisor / Shift Supervisor | Supervisory | $160k – $240k | $145k – $215k | High | Statutory supervisor certificate, Cert IV Frontline Management, operator background |
| HSE / Safety Advisor | Technical | $140k – $220k | $125k – $195k | High | Cert IV or Diploma WHS, ICAM investigation, Cert IV Training & Assessment |
| Heavy Diesel Fitter (Mobile Maintenance) | Trade | $140k – $210k | $120k – $175k | High | Cert III Mobile Plant Technology, Standard 11, Heights, Confined Space |
| Mine Electrician | Trade | $140k – $205k | $125k – $180k | High | Cert III Electrotechnology, A-Grade Licence, HV Switching, Standard 11 |
| Boilermaker / Structural Welder | Trade | $130k – $200k | $110k – $165k | High | Cert III Engineering Fabrication, welding tickets, Heights, Confined Space |
| Dragline Operator (Qld Coal) | Operator | $150k – $200k | $145k – $190k | Moderate | Coal Board Medical, Generic Induction, site VOC on dragline |
| Shutdown Trade Assistant / Rigger | Trade | $120k – $190k | $100k – $155k | Moderate | Dogging, Basic/Intermediate Rigging, EWP, Heights, Confined Space, Gas Test |
| Mine Surveyor | Technical | $130k – $185k | $115k – $165k | High | Surveying degree or Diploma, Authorised Mine Surveyor registration |
| Excavator / Loader Operator | Operator | $120k – $170k | $105k – $145k | Moderate | Standard 11, HR licence preferred, site VOC on machine class |
| Drill Operator (Production Drilling) | Operator | $115k – $165k | $100k – $140k | Moderate | Standard 11, HR licence, site VOC, Shotfirer pathway optional |
| Processing Plant Operator | Operator | $110k – $160k | $95k – $140k | Moderate | Standard 11, Confined Space, Gas Test, Cert III Process Plant Operations |
| Graduate Mining Engineer | Technical | $110k – $150k | $100k – $140k | High | Mining Engineering degree, Standard 11 |
| Haul Truck Operator | Operator | $100k – $150k | $90k – $130k | Low | Standard 11, HR licence commonly required, site VOC |
| Water Cart / Light Vehicle Operator | Entry Level | $85k – $120k | $75k – $105k | Low | HR licence, Standard 11, police clearance |
| Production Trainee / Operator Traineeship | Entry Level | $90k – $115k | $80k – $105k | Low | Standard 11, driver's licence, pass medical — no experience required |
| Tyre Hand / Wash Bay / Fuel Farm Attendant | Entry Level | $80k – $110k | $70k – $95k | Low | Standard 11, White Card, physical capacity assessment |
| Utility / General Hand | Entry Level | $70k – $95k | $62k – $82k | Low | Standard 11, White Card, police clearance, medical |
| Kitchen Hand / Camp Catering | Entry Level | $65k – $88k | $58k – $75k | None | Food Safety Handling desirable, police clearance, medical |
| Camp Attendant / Housekeeping | Entry Level | $65k – $85k | $58k – $72k | None | Police clearance and medical only — no tickets required |
Indicative ranges only, current for 2026 and expressed in AUD per annum. Always confirm rates, roster and allowances in writing with the employer before accepting an offer.
FIFO vs Residential: The Real Trade-Off
On FIFO, your accommodation, all meals and your flights are paid while you are on swing, so a $95,000 FIFO utility role often saves more per year than a $120,000 city job with rent and groceries. That is the genuine financial case for starting FIFO even at entry level pay.
Residential roles trade roughly 10 to 20 percent of the package for daily normality. They suit families, tradespeople with local networks, and anyone who has already done a few years of swings. Company-subsidised housing in mining towns can close much of the gap.
Promotion speed is similar on both sides of the fence. What moves you up is a clean safety record, verified competencies on machinery, and frontline leadership qualifications — not whether you fly in.
Clear Next Steps for Applicants
- Pick a target band, not a dream job. Sort the table by Entry Level First and choose two roles you could realistically be hired into within 90 days.
- Buy only the tickets that band needs. Read the cheapest tickets guide before spending anything, then book through a provider on the training page.
- Clear the gates. Police clearance, pre-employment medical, drug and alcohol screening and a functional capacity assessment. See the application process for what each involves.
- Rebuild your resume around the band. Follow the mining resume guide so tickets and availability appear in the top third of page one.
- Choose your roster honestly. Compare annualised earnings using the FIFO rosters guide and the FIFO guide.
- Apply at volume, direct. Fifteen applications a week through the employers and platforms listed on job listings and new jobs available now.
- Plan the step up. After twelve months on site, add a Cert IV in Leadership and Management or a specialised licence and move toward the supervisory band, where packages start around $160,000.
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