Mining Supervisor

A Mining Supervisor oversees daily mining operations on site, managing teams of mine workers and equipment operators to meet production targets whilst maintaining safety and regulatory compliance. They coordinate extraction activities, monitor working conditions, and ensure adherence to Safe Work Australia standards, state mining legislation, and company protocols. The role involves both surface and underground mine management depending on the operation type.

Allocate work tasks and shift assignments to mining crew members based on operational requirements and skill levels. Inspect mining equipment including excavators, haul trucks, and drilling rigs for mechanical defects and operational safety before deployment. Monitor production output against daily and weekly targets, adjusting crew deployment and work methods to meet schedules. Conduct toolbox meetings and safety briefings at shift start to communicate hazards, procedures, and emergency protocols. Complete incident and near-miss reports for Safe Work Australia compliance and investigate causes of workplace accidents. Enforce use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and stop unsafe work practices in accordance with site safety management systems. Record data on ore grades, extraction tonnage, equipment runtime, and fuel consumption in the mine management information system. Coordinate with geology and planning teams to understand daily blast patterns, ore boundaries, and extraction sequences.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need years of underground or surface mining experience before sites will hire you as a supervisor. Career changers often start as general labourers or equipment operators first, delaying promotion. The role also means shift work including nights and weekends, and you carry legal responsibility if someone gets hurt on your watch.

Remote postings dominate, with fly-in fly-out rosters common.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3129, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Conflict Resolutioncore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Quality Assurance Monitoringcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Rostering and Scheduling Supportcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workflow Prioritisationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Active Listening
• Attention to Detail
• Chemistry
• Escalation Management
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Negotiation
• Process Improvement Identification
• Record Management
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026