Participate in InfoMine’s new African Mining Salaries, Wages and Benefits 2012 survey and receive a free executive summary, as well as a discount on the full report.

InfoMine is tackling the subject of mining salaries, compensation and benefits in its African Mining Salaries, Wages and Benefits 2012 report – set to be the industry’s benchmark for employee costing in Africa. As part of the research, we are conducting a survey of employee costs, and invite all companies active in the African mining industry to participate.

Collaboration is an important way to obtain a clear view of these costs and this valuable information can contribute to improving operations and the industry as a whole, as it expands across Africa. Please contact Katja Freitag or Juliet Du Preez or call InfoMine’s office in Johannesburg at +27 11 467 6873 for more information.

CostMine is conducting its 2012 Canadian Mine Compensation Survey. All participants receive a free executive summary of the results and a substantial discount on the final report. There is no charge for participating. Our 2011 Canadian Mine Compensation report included compensation practices at 59 mines in 9 provinces and territories.

Here is your opportunity to keep abreast of the wages, benefits and bonuses other companies are offering their professionals.

To participate, contact Krista Noyes Salzer to request a survey form or call +1 (509) 328-8023 for more information.

CostMine’s US Metal & Industrial Mineral Mine Salaries, Wages and Benefits Survey and the US Coal Mine Salaries Wages, and Benefits Survey have been released.

In 2011, mines from 18 states participated in the US Coal Mine Report. Included were wages and benefit information for 56 mines and salary information for 43 mines. Mines from 30 states participated in the 2011 US Metal & Industrial Mineral Mine Report. Wage and benefit information for 117 mines and salary information for 91 mines was provided.

Survey reports, including actual wage and salary scales, benefit plan profiles, and bonus plans for many of the participating mines, can be purchased here or by calling +1 509-328-8023.

In the quest to continually improve information and services to the mining industry worldwide, CareerMine invites you to participate in the  CareerMine Mining Industry Salary Survey.

Please complete the survey by March 31, 2012 and you will be entered to win one of 50 packages that include one month of Job Access and a Featured Resume – a $50.00 value – as well as free access to the upcoming CareerMine Salary Center.

The survey will only take a few minutes and your participation will assist CareerMine in gauging the compensation of mining industry professionals around the world.

The average annual salary for an exploration manager in Australia has increased a whopping 187% when tracked in Australian dollars in the last decade. In contrast, American and Canadian exploration manager salaries have only increased 48% and 124% respectively, from 2000 to 2011, according to a newly released survey by CostMine.

Why?

A number of factors: the Australian mining boom, favourable exchange rates for Australians and a strong Australian economy are just a few of the reasons. As a result, exploration managers from around the world are willing to migrate to Australia to earn more money. The following figure illustrates the trends for average salaries for exploration managers in Australia, Canada and the United States, since 2000.

In addition to exploration managers, the new study compares wages for senior and project geologists, technicians and other essential exploration personnel for 129 exploration offices from 38 countries around the world.

The 2011 Exploration Salaries, Wages and Benefits report can be purchased from CostMine or R2Mining. Click here for more information or email info@costmine.com or info@r2mining.com . Price US$945 + s/h.

Back by popular demand, EduMine is pleased to present the XRF Operator Training webcast! This webcast by Cindy Collins of Innov-X provides delegates with the basic knowledge of XRF theory and applications, as used in mineral exploration and mining, as well as the principles and practices of radiation safety that apply to XRF analyzers. It also prepares delegates for the qualification examination associated with becoming certified by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) as an Operator of Portable X-ray Flourescence Analyzers. The webcast will be held 11, 12 April 2012, and you can attend from anywhere! For more information or to register, see the course website.

Hourly workers at U.S. metal and coal mines are taking home bigger paychecks this year, according to a pair of newly released studies by CostMine. While the rest of the U.S. economy lags, jobs in the mining industry continue to be strong with companies actively seeking skilled workers.

As shown on the table below, mining wages are robust with higher average wages this year. The best paid workers are consistently found in U.S. coal mines. While metal miners received higher average wages this year, they continue to make less than their counterparts in coal mines. Of the 56 metal mines reporting, 40 companies increased hourly wages an average of 3.6%, while 16 of the mines reported no change. Forty-eight coal mines increased hourly wages an average of 2.5% and 11 reported no change. The table below lists average benchmark wages and salaries 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 (56 operations)	U.S. Coal Mines (59 operations)
Surface Mechanic	$25.31/hour	$26.94/hour
Underground Miner	$23.96/hour	$25.31/hour
Production Truck Driver	$22.81/hour	$24.33/hour
Mine Superintendent	$94,900/year	$116,000/year
Mine Geologist	$66,200/year	$71,100/year
Mine Foreman	$73,600/year	$93,000/year

Sources: U.S. Metal and Industrial Mineral Mine Salaries, Wages and Benefits: 2011 Survey Results and U.S. Coal Mine Salaries, Wages and Benefits: 2011 Survey Results.

The surveys, conducted between July 2011 and January 2012, looked at 59 coal mines, 56 metal mines and 62 industrial mineral mines in the U.S. Visit InfoMine at booth #2221 at the SME convention, February 19 -22, 2012 and enter to win one of the wage and salary reports, or your choice of several other prizes

Australia has just fewer than 9% of proven global coal reserves, and yet has been the largest exporter of hard coal since 1984. Comparison of coal reserves and coal production indicates that Australia has the potential to be the biggest coal exporter for the foreseeable future, despite the fact that Indonesia and Mongolia are expanding their coal exports. Growth in output and exports bounced back strongly in 2010-2011 as the global financial crisis waned and demand recovered. In 2010, Australia’s proven coal reserves of 76’400 million tonnes ranked fourth largest (8.8%) in the world behind, United States (27.5%), Russia (23.0%) and China (13.2%).

Direct employment in the black coal mining industry was 38,000 in June 2011, as reported by Australian Coal Association, with Queensland employing 20,000 (53%) and New South Wales employing 18,000 (47%) of these workers. Total wages for 2011 were around $4.1 billion, with about 30% employed in underground mines and 70% in surface operations.

Specifically tailored to the Australian mining industry, our new Australian Coal Cost Guide provides a comprehensive review of accurate and reliable cost data for project planning or estimating the cost of new coal mines. Features include sections on surface and underground mine cost models, utilities, equipment, supplies, taxes, wages and benefits, mine development, historic coal prices, coal cost indexes and more. This product can be purchased from R2Mining or CostMine. Contact us: +61 (7) 3365-5866 or Sean Shafiee. Price AS$3,500 + tax.

Senior exploration geologists in the U.S. earn a whopping 70% less than their Australian counterparts and 16% less than their Canadian colleagues when converted to US dollar equivalents. Sounds terrible right? However, senior geologists in the U.S. bring home an average of US$98K annually, hardly a pittance. Australian geologists have been enjoying the benefits of a booming mining industry and it shows. Our 2011 International Exploration Salaries, Wages and Benefits survey revealed that the average Australian senior geologist makes about A$166K per year and the Canadian counterpart makes an average of C$113K annually. In previous years, this disparity was reversed with Americans making 20% to 50% more. Clearly the weak American economy and exchange rates are reflected in these results.

A notable result of this year’s survey, which covered 129 exploration offices in 38 countries worldwide, was how well the South American nationals fared compared to global averages. South American senior geologists earned nearly as much as the Canadians and more than the Americans, bringing home an average of US$102K annually.

The survey results containing salary and benefit plan summaries for 129 exploration offices can be purchased from CostMine. Click here for more information. Or call us: +1 (509) 328-8023. Price US$945 + s/h.

The 2011 results of CostMine’s US Metal & Industrial Mineral Mine Salaries, Wages and Benefits Survey and the US Coal Mine Salaries Wages, and Benefits Survey will be released later this month.

In 2010, mines from 17 states participated in the US Coal Mine Report.  Included were wages and benefit information for 67 mines and salary information for 43 mines.  Mines from 28 states participater in the 2010 US Metal & Industrial Mineral Mine Report.  Wage and benefit information for 119 mines and salary information for 95 mines wasprovided.  The 2011 reports promise similar results. 

Survey reports, including actual wage and salary scales, benefit plan profiles, and bonus plans for many of the participating mines, can be purchased here or by calling +1 509-328-8023.