CostMine
U.S. Metal Mine Employees Take Home A Bigger Paycheck Than Aggregate Miners
By Jennifer Leinart, May 20th, 2009 - PERMALINK
Workers at U.S. metal mines take home larger paychecks and enjoy more benefits than those at U.S. aggregate and construction materials mines, according to a study by CostMine.
The study also found that paychecks were 29% higher on average for hourly workers at the metal mines and 35% higher for salaried workers. The disparity persisted throughout all the job categories with the single exception of environmental coordinators who earn about 5% more on average at aggregate operations.
Not only are paychecks higher at metal mines, but benefits are more generous as well. Workers at metal mines enjoy more vacation, more sick leave and more holidays, and more employees are provided with company supported medical plans, retirement plans, incentive bonus plans and life insurance.
The metal mine survey, conducted between July and December 2008, looked at 53 U.S. metal mines. The aggregate and construction material mine survey was conducted between July 2008 and March 2009 and looked at 180 American firms.
Of the 53 metal mines reporting, 46 companies increased wages an average of 3%, while seven of the mines reported no change. One hundred and forty-six aggregate operations increased wages an average of 2.7%, while 34 reported no change in wages. None of the mines in the survey decreased wages.
The table below lists average benchmark wages selected from the survey results. The complete survey reports can be purchased from CostMine, which includes actual wage and salary scales for each of the mines, along with benefit plan profiles and bonus plan descriptions.
Selected Job Title |
U.S. Metal Mines (53 operations) |
U.S. Aggregate/Construction Material Mines (180 operations) |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanic | $23.10/hour | $19.66/hour |
| Production Truck Driver | $21.93/hour | $16.78/hour |
| Underground Miner | $21.88/hour | $16.14/hour |
| Mine Superintendent | $99,500/year | $65,800/year |
| Environmental Coordinator | $73,700/year | $77,500/year |
| Personnel Manager | $97,200/year | $72,900/year |
Sources: U.S. Metal and Industrial Mineral Mine Salaries, Wages and Benefits: 2008 Survey Results and U.S. Aggregate and Construction Material Mine Salaries, Wages and Benefits: 2009 Survey Results. InfoMine USA, Inc., www.costmine.com.