Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers
Architecture and Engineering Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 17-2151.00
Conduct subsurface 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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.29
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 17 hidden tasks18 rated tasks · 15 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (83.3%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 30.2) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Design, develop, and implement computer applications for use in mining operations such as mine design, modeling, or mapping or for monitoring mine conditions.17-2151.00 | 0.00000.0 | 0.0100100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel.O*NET Task ID 3569 | 1.0 |
Design, develop, and implement computer applications for use in mining operations such as mine design, modeling, or mapping or for monitoring mine conditions.O*NET Task ID 3572 | 1.0 |
Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions.O*NET Task ID 3561 | 0.5 |
Select locations and plan underground or surface mining operations, specifying processes, labor usage, and equipment that will result in safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction of minerals and ores.O*NET Task ID 3562 | 0.5 |
Examine maps, deposits, drilling locations, or mines to determine the location, size, accessibility, contents, value, and potential profitability of mineral, oil, and gas deposits.O*NET Task ID 3563 | 0.5 |
Prepare schedules, reports, and estimates of the costs involved in developing and operating mines.O*NET Task ID 3565 | 0.5 |
Monitor mine production rates to assess operational effectiveness.O*NET Task ID 3566 | 0.5 |
Design, implement, and monitor the development of mines, facilities, systems, or equipment.O*NET Task ID 3567 | 0.5 |
Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics.O*NET Task ID 3568 | 0.5 |
Implement and coordinate mine safety programs, including the design and maintenance of protective and rescue equipment and safety devices.O*NET Task ID 3570 | 0.5 |
Test air to detect toxic gases and recommend measures to remove them, such as installation of ventilation shafts.O*NET Task ID 3571 | 0.5 |
Select or devise materials-handling methods and equipment to transport ore, waste materials, and mineral products efficiently and economically.O*NET Task ID 3573 | 0.5 |
Devise solutions to problems of land reclamation and water and air pollution, such as methods of storing excavated soil and returning exhausted mine sites to natural states.O*NET Task ID 3574 | 0.5 |
Evaluate data to develop new mining products, equipment, or processes.O*NET Task ID 3576 | 0.5 |
Design mining and mineral treatment equipment and machinery in collaboration with other engineering specialists.O*NET Task ID 3578 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (18)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions. | Core |
| Select locations and plan underground or surface mining operations, specifying processes, labor usage, and equipment that will result in safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction of minerals and ores. | Core |
| Examine maps, deposits, drilling locations, or mines to determine the location, size, accessibility, contents, value, and potential profitability of mineral, oil, and gas deposits. | Core |
| Prepare schedules, reports, and estimates of the costs involved in developing and operating mines. | Core |
| Monitor mine production rates to assess operational effectiveness. | Core |
| Design, implement, and monitor the development of mines, facilities, systems, or equipment. | Core |
| Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics. | Core |
| Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel. | Core |
| Supervise, train, and evaluate technicians, technologists, survey personnel, engineers, scientists or other mine personnel. | Core |
| Implement and coordinate mine safety programs, including the design and maintenance of protective and rescue equipment and safety devices. | Supplemental |
| Test air to detect toxic gases and recommend measures to remove them, such as installation of ventilation shafts. | Supplemental |
| Design, develop, and implement computer applications for use in mining operations such as mine design, modeling, or mapping or for monitoring mine conditions. | Supplemental |
| Select or devise materials-handling methods and equipment to transport ore, waste materials, and mineral products efficiently and economically. | Supplemental |
| Devise solutions to problems of land reclamation and water and air pollution, such as methods of storing excavated soil and returning exhausted mine sites to natural states. | Supplemental |
| Lay out, direct, and supervise mine construction operations, such as the construction of shafts and tunnels. | Supplemental |
| Evaluate data to develop new mining products, equipment, or processes. | Supplemental |
| Conduct or direct mining experiments to test or prove research findings. | Supplemental |
| Design mining and mineral treatment equipment and machinery in collaboration with other engineering specialists. | Supplemental |
0.24/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions. | E2 structured facilities |
| Test air to detect toxic gases and recommend measures to remove them, such as installation of ventilation shafts. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 6K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 6K
- Change (2025–35)
- +3.8%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $106,220
- Typical education needed for entry
- Bachelor's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23730 | 가스‧에너지 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2146Mining Engineers, Metallurgists and Related Professionals
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals conduct research on, design, develop and maintain commercial-scale methods of extracting metals from their ores, or minerals, water, oil or gas from the earth, and of developing new alloys, ceramic and other materials, or study and advise on mining or metallurgical aspects of particular materials, products or processes.
Tasks
- (a) determining the location and planning the extraction of coal, metallic ores, non-metallic minerals, and building materials, such as stone and gravel;
- (b) determining most suitable methods of efficient mining and extraction and types of machinery to be used, planning layout and directing construction of shafts and tunnels;
- (c) determining drilling site and devising methods of controlling the flow of water, oil or gas from wells;
- (d) planning and directing storage, initial treatment and transportation of water, oil or gas;
- (e) establishing safety standards and procedures and first-aid facilities, especially underground;
- (f) conducting research, developing methods of extracting metals from their ores and advising on their application;
- (g) investigating properties of metals and alloys, developing new alloys and advising on and supervising technical aspects of metal and alloy manufacture and processing;
- (h) maintaining technical liaison and consultancy with other relevant specialists such as geologists and geophysicists;
- (i) examining deposits or mines to evaluate profitability.
Example occupations
Extractive metallurgist · Mining engineer · Petroleum and natural gas extraction engineer
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- mining geotechnical engineerESCO 2142.1.6Same scope
Mining geotechnical engineers in mining perform engineering, hydrological and geological tests and analyses to improve the safety and efficiency of mineral operations. They oversee the collection of samples and the taking of measurements using geotechnical investigation methods and techniques. They model the mechanical behaviour of the rock mass and contribute to the design of the mine geometry.
- environmental mining engineerESCO 2143.1.1This occupation is broader
Environmental mining engineers oversee the environmental performance of mining operations. They develop and implement environmental systems and strategies to minimise environmental impacts.
- geological engineerESCO 2142.1.4This occupation is broader
Geological engineers apply geological knowledge for the assessment of sites, soils, slope stability, sediments and other observable characteristics in the Earth. They integrate this information in the planning and development of projects in those places. They assess and answer questions concerning the geological characteristics of soils by performing research and experiments of the sites aimed to be intervened.
- mine development engineerESCO 2146.6This occupation is broader
Mine development engineers design and coordinate mine development operations such as crosscutting, sinking, tunnelling, in-seam drivages, raising, and removing and replacing overburden.
- mine planning engineerESCO 2146.8This occupation is broader
Mine planning engineers design future mine layouts capable of achieving production and mine development objectives, taking into account the geological characteristics and structure of the mineral resource. They prepare production and development schedules and monitor progress against these.
- mine ventilation engineerESCO 2144.1.13This occupation is broader
Mine ventilation engineers design and manage systems and equipment to ensure fresh air supply and air circulation in underground mines and the timely removal of noxious gases. They co-ordinate ventilation system design with mine management, mine safety engineer and mine planning engineer.
- quarry engineerESCO 2146.11This occupation is broader
Quarry engineers analyse which extraction methods such as excavating, drilling and blasting are most suited to extract raw materials from the ground. They develop plans before a new quarry is opened, assessing if the quarry is profitable. Quarry engineers manage the everyday operations in a quarry, create and maintain progress reports, oversee the staff, ensure health and safety and assess the environmental impact a quarry has on its environment.
- mine geologistESCO 2114.1.6Overlapping, not the same
Mine geologists locate, identify, quantify and classify mineral resources and their geological characteristics and structure. They provide advice to mine managers and engineers at existing and prospective mineral operations.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| F1128 | Géotechnicien / Géotechnicienne | Related, not a match |
| F1203 | Chef / Cheffe de carrière | Related, not a match |
| F1212 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure d'exploitation de gisements | Related, not a match |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2436 | Ingenieros de minas, metalúrgicos y afines | Overlapping, not the same |
| 2466 | Ingenieros técnicos de minas, metalúrgicos y afines | Overlapping, not the same |
| 2414 | Geólogos y geofísicos | Related, not a match |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 21114 | Berufe im Berg- und Tagebau - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Same scope |
| 21194 | Führungskräfte - Berg- und Tagebau und Sprengtechnik | Related, not a match |
| 42114 | Berufe in der Geotechnik - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 21113 | Berufe im Berg- und Tagebau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 21124 | Berufe in der Sprengtechnik - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 089 | その他の製造技術者（開発を除く） | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 079 | その他の製造技術者（開発） | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 119 | その他の技術者 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources