Underground mining jobs and rotation blog
Guides for underground and hard-rock mining workers in Canada -- pay, tickets, rotations, and camp vs. town life.
- How do I get a Heavy Equipment Operator license in Canada?
There's no single national licence for heavy equipment operators. Here's what actually exists province by province, and where the real training happens.
- How much do heavy equipment operators get paid in Canada?
Job Bank hourly wage ranges for heavy equipment and excavator operators by province, and what actually pushes pay toward the top of the range.
- How do I become a jumbo drill operator?
The realistic path into running a jumbo drill underground in a Canadian mine, from entry-level labour through the training an employer actually provides.
- Shutdown work in Alberta: mines, mills, and processing plants
What a shutdown or turnaround actually is at an Alberta mill or plant, who hires for it, the seasonal pattern, and what roles show up most.
- The deepest underground mines in Canada
Which Canadian underground mines go the deepest, why depth matters for the job itself, and how heat and ventilation change as a mine gets deeper.
- Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) mining: pros and cons
An honest look at fly-in fly-out mining rotations - how 14/14 and 21/7 schedules work, what's genuinely good about them, and what wears people down.
- Getting hired at a mine with no experience
What underground mine operators actually look for from applicants with zero mining background, and how to become a realistic candidate.
- From mucker to mine manager: a realistic career path
A realistic look at how underground miners actually move from entry-level labour to supervision, trades, or management, and how long each step takes.
- Mining apprenticeships in Canada
How mining-related apprenticeships actually work in Canada, which trades lead into underground mines, and what training pays while you're in it.
- Mining engineer vs. geologist: salary compared
How mining engineer and geologist roles differ underground, what licensing each needs, and how their pay tends to compare.
- Guide to underground mining jobs in Sudbury
How underground mining work in Sudbury actually breaks down: employers, entry roles, certification, and what a shift really looks like.
- Top 10 highest-paying underground mining jobs
The underground mining roles that tend to pay the most in Canada, from shift boss to mining engineer, and what qualifies you for each.
- Underground vs. open-pit mining: how pay compares
Why underground mining jobs tend to pay more per hour than open-pit roles, and where open-pit narrows the gap once you account for tickets and hours.
- Women in underground mining
What it's actually like for women working underground in Canadian hard-rock mines, and the industry programs supporting entry and retention.