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Underground miner: what the job actually is

Working underground to drill, support and remove rock so that ore can be taken out of a mine, to strict safety procedures.

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Underground miner: quick facts

Underground miner salary in Ontario: the median pay is $39.70 an hour, according to Job Bank (reference period 2023-2024). Its three-year outlook in Ontario is very limited. The job usually needs a shorter college programme or apprenticeship, or over six months of on-the-job training.

Median pay in Ontario
$39.70 an hour
Pay range (low to high)
$27.52 to $56.00 an hour
Job outlook, 2025-2027
Very limited
People working in it in Ontario
9,050
Usually needs
Usually a shorter college programme or apprenticeship, or over six months of on-the-job training

Source: Job Bank wages (updated 19 November 2025) and job prospects (updated 10 December 2025), NOC 83100. Pay varies by region and experience.

The work

What this job actually is

  • Working deep underground to drill, support and blast rock, and to move the ore to the surface. Production miners take out the ore, and development miners dig the tunnels that make that possible.
  • It is dangerous work, done under strict rules. Ground control, ventilation, blasting and equipment all have procedures that exist because people have died without them.
  • Job Bank says the main employer is metal ore mining, with a smaller share in support activities for mining. Many mines in Ontario are in the north, far from the larger cities.
  • Job Bank says the outlook for this group is Very limited. It points to planned mine closures in northern Ontario, with the growing clean technology sector possibly boosting demand for some raw materials over the longer term.
  • You work as part of a crew, often on rotating shifts. Job Bank's text does not describe fly-in or remote shifts, so ask an employer how a specific mine schedules its work.

A Tuesday

What a normal day looks like

Not a good day or a bad one. The ordinary version, which is what you would actually be living.

  1. 5:30 — Wake up at the mine site or at home before a shift. Breakfast, then gear: hard hat, headlamp, boots, a self-rescuer.
  2. 6:30 — Shift meeting at the surface. The previous shift reports problems underground. The supervisor assigns the headings.
  3. 7:00 — Down in the cage. It is a long drop and a long walk to the work area.
  4. 7:45 — Check the ground. Scale loose rock, examine the walls and roof, and report anything that looks wrong before work starts.
  5. 8:30 — Drill. Loud, vibrating, dusty, and done with hearing protection and a respirator.
  6. 11:30 — Lunch in a refuge station, in the dark, with the same crew you have been with all morning.
  7. 12:00 — Install ground support, bolts and screen. This is the part that keeps the roof up.
  8. 14:00 — Charge and clear the area for blasting, following a strict procedure. Nobody takes a shortcut.
  9. 15:00 — Back to the surface, handover to the next shift, then a shower and the ride home or back to camp.

Honestly

Who loves this, and who should not do it

The second list is the useful one. Nearly every careers page leaves it out, which is why nearly every careers page reads like an advert.

You may like this if
  • You want to work as part of a tight crew where everyone depends on everyone else.
  • You are comfortable with enclosed spaces, noise and the dark for long shifts.
  • You can follow safety procedures exactly, every time, without exceptions.
  • You are prepared to live and work in northern Ontario and be away from home for stretches.
  • You want physical, practical work and do not mind that it is hard.
You may hate this if
  • You are claustrophobic, or the idea of being a long way underground makes you uneasy. That does not usually go away.
  • You are not prepared to accept the danger. It is reduced by procedure and training, not removed.
  • You want job security. Job Bank's outlook is Very limited, with decline and planned mine closures in northern Ontario.
  • You want to live in or near a big city. Many mines are far from one.
  • You dislike noise, dust, heat and cold. All are part of the work, with protective equipment.

The route in

How you actually get there in Ontario

  1. Finish secondary school

    Job Bank says completion of secondary school is usually required for this group. Maths, physics and technological education help you understand the equipment and the reasons for the procedures.

  2. Expect training on the job

    Job Bank says formal training, in its words up to six weeks, is usually followed by extended periods of specialized training as a helper or in support occupations. Previous experience as a mine labourer or in other mine occupations is usually required.

  3. Understand the certifications Job Bank mentions

    Job Bank says a miner may be certified in the basic common core program or as an underground hard rock miner in Ontario, a first aid certificate may be required, company licensing or certification is often required, and a provincial blasting licence may be required. We could not read an Ontario page that sets out the common core hours, so ask an employer.

  4. Know that basic safety training is required in every workplace

    Ontario's guide to basic awareness training says employers must ensure workers and supervisors complete an awareness training program, and it lists a mine or mining plant among the workplaces it covers.

Where this comes from: Job Bank — Requirements for underground production and development miners in Ontario · Ontario — Guide to OHSA requirements for basic awareness training · Job Bank — Wage report for underground production and development miners

The money

Underground miner salary in Ontario

Job Bank's own figures, quoted rather than summarised, with the period they describe — so you can tell how old they are and go and check them.

$27.52
Low (hourly)
$39.70
Median (hourly)
$56.00
High (hourly)

Ontario, NOC 83100. Reference period 2023-2024, last updated by Job Bank on 19 November 2025. Wages vary a lot by region inside Ontario and by how long you have been doing it — the low figure is roughly where you start, not what the job is worth.

Source: Job Bank — Underground miner wages in Ontario

Where it is heading

The outlook for the next three years

Job Bank publishes a three-year outlook for every job in every province. It is the closest thing to an honest forecast, and it moves, so read it as a weather report rather than a verdict.

Ontario, 2025-2027

Very limited1 out of 5 stars

  • Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions.
  • Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
  • There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

What that rating means: how many openings Job Bank expects in Ontario for this kind of work against how many people are likely to be looking — not whether it is a good job. A “limited” rating means more competition for each opening; it does not close the door, and it can change before you are ready to walk through it.

What is changing in this work

  • Planned mine closures in northern Ontario
  • Over the longer term, the growing clean technology sector will boost the demand for certain raw materials

Who hires for it

  • Metal ore mining
  • A smaller proportion in support activities for mining
9,050
people work in this job in Ontario
less than 5%
are women (48% across all jobs)
5%
are self-employed (15% across all jobs)

Source: Job Bank — Underground production and development miners job prospects in Ontario (NOC 83100). Outlook updated by Job Bank on 10 December 2025; read by us on 5 October 2026.

Before you leave school

Things you can do now

  • Take maths, physics, earth science and technological education courses. Geology gives you a feel for the rock.
  • Ask your guidance counsellor whether any college in northern Ontario offers a mining program, and check the entry requirements on ontariocolleges.ca.
  • Look at a mining company's public careers page and read what it says about entry-level jobs and training.
  • If you are near a mining community, ask whether there is a public mining museum or tour. Hear what people there say about the work.

Test it

Do this before you decide anything

Reading about a job tells you almost nothing. This is designed to be done alone, this week, for free.

Test whether you can stay calm in the dark and the quiet

About 60 minutes
  1. Watch a long video of a working day in an underground mine, including the descent and the work area. Notice your reaction: curious, uneasy, or neither.
  2. Sit in a small, dark, quiet room, such as a closet or a windowless bathroom with the light off, for ten minutes with a timer. Notice your breathing and your thoughts.
  3. Read a mining company's public safety page or an official safety statement. Write down one rule that surprised you.
  4. Look up where in Ontario mining jobs are, and write down how far from your home each one is.

What it tells you. If you were curious in the video, calm in the dark and the distance did not put you off, you can look more seriously at a northern college program or an entry-level mine job. If you were uneasy at any step, believe it. Add the outlook, which Job Bank rates Very limited, and consider whether a related trade, such as millwright or heavy equipment operator, might suit you better.

Better than any article

Questions for somebody who does this job

Most people say yes to a teenager who asks good questions. These are the ones that get real answers rather than encouragement.

  1. “What is the first week really like, and what training did you get before going underground?”
  2. “How do you deal with the danger and the dark day to day?”
  3. “What does your shift schedule look like, and what is it like for your family?”
  4. “What do you think about the future of mining in your area?”
  5. “What other jobs did the work lead to?”
  6. “What advice would you give someone who is nervous about it?”

Could you own one of these?

The part other career sites never mention

Not in the usual sense. Underground mining is done by mining companies, with licences, equipment and safety systems that an individual cannot assemble. Some people with mining experience later move into contracting or consulting, but that is a different job reached after years underground.

Business 101 is free and teaches that part

Quick answers

Questions people ask about this job

How much does an underground miner make in Ontario?

The median pay for an underground miner in Ontario is $39.70 an hour, according to Job Bank (reference period 2023-2024, updated 19 November 2025). The range Job Bank publishes runs from $27.52 to $56.00 an hour. Pay varies by region, employer and experience.

What is the job outlook for an underground miner in Ontario?

Job Bank rates the employment outlook for this work in Ontario as very limited for 2025-2027 (updated 10 December 2025). Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions. Not many positions will become available due to retirements. There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation. A lower rating means more competition for each opening, not that no one is hiring.

What do you need to become an underground miner in Ontario?

Job Bank says this work usually needs a shorter college programme or apprenticeship, or over six months of on-the-job training. The usual route in Ontario, in order: Finish secondary school; Expect training on the job; Understand the certifications Job Bank mentions.

Where does an underground miner work in Ontario?

Metal ore mining. A smaller proportion in support activities for mining. (Job Bank.)

How many people work as an underground miner in Ontario, and how many are women?

Job Bank counts about 9,050 people working in this job in Ontario. Less than 5% of them are women, compared with 48% across all jobs. That describes who does the work today, not who can.

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Wages and training requirements change. Every figure on this page is linked to the body that publishes it, and the review date above says when we last checked. If you find something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.