Why You Need Mining and Mining Needs You

What You Need to Know:

• With mineral demands skyrocketing, the U.S. needs miners more than ever.
• Modern mining offers a wide range of opportunities with strong salaries for people with a vast range of interests.
• Not only do mining careers benefit those who join the industry, but they are an invaluable contribution to America’s global success.

Letter From The President and CEO:

Mineral demands are at record highs and the U.S. needs miners to help deliver the raw materials essential to our economic and national security.

The mining industry encompasses a wide range of roles – from operations managers and environmental engineers to electricians and explosives workers – that offer generous salaries and benefits. And when they get to work, today’s miners are using some of the world’s most sophisticated technologies, operating pieces of equipment – often remotely – that use artificial intelligence, location awareness, machine learning and robotics to make operations, more efficient and improve safety.

Even for those who know little about mining, many companies have in-depth training programs and even offer to fund educational opportunities for employees interested in becoming more knowledgeable about a specific field or who are in pursuit of a higher degree. Most positions, whether they be extraction operators or geologists, come with a healthy work-life balance and ample opportunities for career growth. Not only is a career in mining beneficial for those who join the industry, but it also greatly benefits our country.

The entire mining industry, from extraction to distribution, is irreplaceably valuable to the U.S. economy. The industry at large encompassed 472,000 direct jobs in 2022 and added an additional 813,000 indirect jobs, and has already contributed $409.70 billion to the U.S. GDP so far this year, which is up from $380.1 billion in the first quarter of last year. Given the rising need for minerals amidst the energy transition, the industry is only expected to continue to increase in value.

The U.S. is embarrassingly dependent on China for the minerals needed for nearly everything – our roads and bridges, our energy technologies and medical devices. Even our military technologies like fighter jets and night-vision goggles are built with minerals from China because we aren’t doing enough to support and grow our industry at home.

The U.S. needs to expand domestic mining to secure our supply chains and support the development of our future energy technologies, and that work can start with the next generation of miners working in U.S. mines. Learn more about careers in mining and what they offer industry employees, the communities that surround the mines and this great nation.

Share this video with your constituents, friends or anyone you know interested in expanding their career. Whether they have widespread experience within the industry or none at all, this video proves all are welcome in the mining workforce. We need your help to show off the endless opportunities a job in mining can bring individuals, their families and communities.

Thank you,

Rich Nolan
NMA President and CEO