Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers
VET / TAFE Moderate growth · ANZSCO skill level 4 · occupation 7122
Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers assemble, position and operate drilling rigs and mining plant, and detonate explosives to extract materials from the earth and demolish structures.
People employed72,000
Median pay$2,908per week, full-time
Projected growth+3.8%over 5 years (to 2030)
Recent growth+4.2%per year
Median age40
Female share14%
How do you get there?
Highest qualification held by people in this job: 3.1% university · 42.8% vet / tafe · 49.4% school / entry (ABS Census via JSA).
Where these jobs are
WA 45.2% · QLD 26.6% · NSW 16.3% · SA 5.9% · VIC 2.8% · TAS 1.8% · NT 1.2% · ACT 0.1%
Top industries
Mining · Construction.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia — Occupation profiles (Feb 2026) + Employment Projections (May 2025–2035). © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0. Figures are national estimates.