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Mining assistant

Also called mining laborer, mining labourer, quarry labourer

Mining assistants perform routine duties in mining and quarrying operations. They assist the miners with maintaining equipment, with laying pipes, cables and tunnels, and with removing wast.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects28 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transportWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €800 (Bulgaria) to €4,300 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transportWhat do I need to study?Basic schooling4 in 10 have basic schooling only.Labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transportWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Mining and quarrying labourers · ILO

What you'd do

Mining and quarrying labourers · ILO
  • Assisting miners and quarriers in maintaining machinery, equipment, and mine and quarry installations
  • Assembling and dismantling mining equipment
  • Removing tunnel supports from disused workings in mines and quarries
  • Removing dangerous projections from mine and quarry workings
  • Removing waste and serviceable materials and equipment from work areas after extraction activities have been completed, and clearing rock and mineral spills
  • Cleaning machinery, equipment, tools, roadways and haulage tracks
  • Sorting, loading, unloading, stacking and storing tools, materials and supplies used by other mine workers
Handle mining plant wasteClean waste materials from machinesDispose of non-hazardous wasteWork ergonomicallyPerform minor repairs to equipment+ 4 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Mostly outdoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Lots of contact with people
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines now and then
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Helpers--Extraction Workers"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport in the EU
4.98m5.67m5.76m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
88,000 new jobs 1,502,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport28
All jobs29
Right now
5 of 27 countries report a shortage of mining and quarrying labourers, 4 a surplus.
Mining and quarrying labourers · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €800 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,300 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among elementary occupations in the EU, women earn 9% less per hour than men. Elementary occupations · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Basic schooling

Most people start with basic schooling and learn on the job.

Highest qualification of labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport (EU, 2025)
Degree 8%Vocational 36%General secondary 13%Basic schooling 42%

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.11 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Assisting miners and quarriers in maintaining machinery, equipment, and mine and quarry installations0.14
Assembling and dismantling mining equipment0.12
Removing waste and serviceable materials and equipment from work areas after extraction activities have been completed, and clearing rock and mineral spills0.11
Sorting, loading, unloading, stacking and storing tools, materials and supplies used by other mine workers0.11
Cleaning machinery, equipment, tools, roadways and haulage tracks0.10
Removing tunnel supports from disused workings in mines and quarries0.10
Removing dangerous projections from mine and quarry workings0.08

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for mining and quarrying labourers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).