• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

How much do miners make?

C

ctcsoft

Platinum Member

I'm just curious on how much they make? It has to be a decent living to take such a risk I'd think??

What happened in W. VA was horrible though. I know they take a risk in doing that work but 1-2 hrs supply of air is all they had? I cannot believe thats acceptable by law?

And getting the news story wrong on something like that?? The whole thing is just mind boggling

 
Originally posted by: pontifex
my 1st thought is they don't get paid much, but i bet they get paid a lot because the job is dangerous
Click to expand...

yeah kinda what i thought. plus it said that the only survivor is licensed electrician and he chose mining for more $$.
 
Originally posted by: KB
They can start out of college at 50K/yr. Heard it on NPR today.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt a college degree is required to be a miner.

Unless you're a special mine surveyor or someone who is a specialist of some sort, a college education is not need. Miner is a very low end job in terms of education, but the pay is adjusted for the danger (and ill health effects).
 
You have to realize that many of these people live in very rural and poor areas. Often there are no jobs other than working at the mine, and you may have to drive 40 or 50 miles to get to that mine each day. They really do not have access to the kinds of jobs that many of us do.

Here are some BLS statistics on coal mining. Your average coal miner makes about $1k a week.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs004.htm#earnings
 
Another thing to keep in mind, most places where there are coal mines have a low cost of living. For example, 50-60k in W. Virginia or Pennsylvania is not 50-60k in Cali, or South Florida. Usually mining coal is the only thing that pays enough money to feed a family in these area. My Grandpa worked a coal mine for 32 years in PA.
 
Originally posted by: JLGatsby
Originally posted by: KB
They can start out of college at 50K/yr. Heard it on NPR today.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt a college degree is required to be a miner.

Unless you're a special mine surveyor or someone who is a specialist of some sort, a college education is not need. Miner is a very low end job in terms of education, but the pay is adjusted for the danger (and ill health effects).
Click to expand...

What does a college degree have to do with making 50K a year? You'd be surprised at some of the salaries that people without college degrees make.
 
Originally posted by: timswim78

What does a college degree have to do with making 50K a year? You'd be surprised at some of the salaries that people without college degrees make.
Click to expand...

Someone said miners have college degrees, or implied it, which is untrue.
 
Originally posted by: JLGatsby
Originally posted by: timswim78

What does a college degree have to do with making 50K a year? You'd be surprised at some of the salaries that people without college degrees make.
Click to expand...

Someone said miners have college degrees, or implied it, which is untrue.
Click to expand...


Yes, I see that guy's post now. I would have to agree with you in saying that mining does not usually require a college degree.
 
Originally posted by: timswim78
Yes, I see that guy's post now. I would have to agree with you in saying that mining does not usually require a college degree.
Click to expand...

I'm not bashing the miners, they do an important and dangerous job, but I would go as far as saying a high school education isn't even required.
 
Originally posted by: LoKe
Does it really matter if you're dead?
Click to expand...

No it doesn't but not all miners die from the job. I was just curious on the pay they make for taking the risk. But I doubt miners die everyday from the job. Its not that BIG of a risk.

I just think the air supply they have is a joke. 1-2 supply.
 
Originally posted by: ctcsoft
No it doesn't but not all miners die from the job. I was just curious on the pay they make for taking the risk. But I doubt miners die everyday from the job. Its not that BIG of a risk.
Click to expand...

I would hope its not as risky now a days. Back in the day it was pretty dangerous, injuries were more common than not. My great-grandfather died when a beam fell on his head when he was working as a coal miner in Illinois. He was only 30-something. In the photos I have seen of him, he looked like hell after he started working in the mine. He looked about 20 years old than he was. I would never set foot in a coal mine, no matter how safe they say it is.
 
Originally posted by: JLGatsby
Originally posted by: timswim78
Yes, I see that guy's post now. I would have to agree with you in saying that mining does not usually require a college degree.
Click to expand...

I'm not bashing the miners, they do an important and dangerous job, but I would go as far as saying a high school education isn't even required.
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm not bashing miners either. I think that people who work hard should get paid well, and miners work hard.
 
During my summer practice (Metallurgical Eng.) I went down a cabled elevator in a shaft about 1000 ft inside the earth. It was nerve wracking first time experience for me. At that time I just could not imagine what if a cave-in happens and I end up being buried/lost. All I had was safety helmet, boots, flashlight and whatever clothes they provided. It was good thing this was not gonna be a part of my job when I graduated.

A few year later I found that that some friends of mine (3) who were Mining Eng. graduates died after a cave/shaft collaped. Their bodies were found after a few days later. I heard about it a few days later when I was working in a gold assaying laboratory.

It was part of their job and it was risk they had to take to earn a living. And yes they made a lot of money. 🙁
 
Originally posted by: KingofCamelot
Originally posted by: ChooChooChooseMe
Heard on NPR they make $75,000 a year.
Click to expand...

I really doubt that they make that much, not for a normal miner.
Click to expand...

NPR said that they can start off at $50k, so I guess for a supervisor or something $75k is not unheard of.

They also discussed the back-and-forth nature of coal prices. When coal prices are low, it is not as profitable to invest the effort in extracting from lower yield coal mines such as those in WV (Wyoming produces much more coal that WV). When prices are high, the lower yield mines are more attractive and thus the demand for workers goes up. When coal prices are low, coal workers aren't going to be starting out at $50,000.
 
Originally posted by: timswim78
Yep, I'm not bashing miners either. I think that people who work hard should get paid well, and miners work hard.
Click to expand...

I don't think hard physical work should be paid well (unless it's extremely hard work) but I do think dangerous jobs (such as mining) should be paid well.

Moving furniture I would bet is hard work, but not dangerous, but should they make making $80k? I don't think so.

But with $50-60k in West Virginia you can live like a king, so that's good pay.
 
I have several miners in the family and believe me this thing was painful to watch. Let me at least dispell a couple of myths in this thread...

College degrees in mining are few except maybe for the surveyors and engineers, which there aren't many of. Those guys aren't underground all the time anyway. Miner training is more like 2-4 weeks of vocational and safety training with annual retraining. All these NPR quotes and estimates of as much as $75K are too high, more like $30-40K. Maybe $50K after 5-10 years. Don't know anyone making 75. Specialists, electricians, and foremen might make a couple of bucks more on the hour, but there's not that much difference. Benefits are so-so, but turn over rates and company bankruptcy rates are pretty high, so there's not much continuity. Very few people get company pensions. Changing jobs, company bankruptcy or reorganizing under a different name every 3-4 years is pretty common. Timswim78 made a good point about the areas being rural and not many jobs. For a high school grad it beats minimum wage 3-times over.

As for safety, it is a pretty dangerous job. Accidents with equipment and smaller rock falls that affect only 1 person probably cause the most injuries and deaths, but big tragedies like this can take their toll too. Air supply usually isn't an issue. During normal operations there's frequent air quality and quantity testing to make sure the workers are safe. They go to great lengths with large outside fans, air barriers, dust control systems, and extensive air control plans to keep it that way. In most cases, there's redundancies with several pathways to permit airflow, access, and escape. Most mines have 3-4+ separate entries. They're somewhat closely spaced, but it takes a pretty big disaster to completely seal a mine or trap miners. When there's an explosion, rock fall, or fire or something, it interupts that flow pattern so much that it's hard to predict what the effect will be. I guess the logic with the emergency air is that if you survive the initial blast or rock fall then 1-2 hours of air is enough to get you to one of those alternate entries or back in the air flow pathway. Several miners at the same time trapped or without air for any length of time is a catastrophy none of us wants to think about.

Hope it's been informative.

EDIT: PS - If you're into prayer, say a few kind words for the families...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top