AME BC Releases Salary Survey of Mineral Exploration Personnel

A rebound in BC’s mining industry has resulted in an upward trend in salary and benefit expectations for mineral exploration personnel. Based on data from the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia's (AME BC) inaugural Salary Survey of Mineral Exploration Personnel, a senior geologist in BC can expect to earn around $105,000 annually.

Intended to provide an overview of salaries within the mineral exploration sector, as a reference tool to individual and corporate members, the survey collected data from 450 AME BC members in the fall of 2005. The association represents over 3,700 members, including individual Professional Geoscientists, Professional Engineers, prospectors, suppliers, and mineral producers who are engaged in the mineral exploration field.

The median salary of BC geologists ranged from $56,000 for those with one to two years of experience to $105,000 for those with twenty or more years of experience.

Median salary ranges for geologists identified by the survey include:

  • $87, 500 for a geologist with 10-14 years of experience (salary ranged from $50,000-$215,000)
  • $95,000 for a geologist with 15-10 years of experience (salary ranged from $50,000-$185,000)
  • $105,000 for a geologist with 20 or more years of experience (salary ranged from $50,000-$450,000)

Over 85 % of survey respondents indicated they had 10 or more years of experience in the mineral exploration and mining industry, a further total of 56 % indicated that they had 20 or more years of experience.

Reflecting these statistics, the majority of AME BC members surveyed were over the age of 40. While 64 % were between the ages of 41 and 60, only 3 % were born in 1980 or later; this aging workforce in BC’s mineral exploration sector threatens a further skills shortage in this field.

The employment of women, and Aboriginal people in mineral exploration and mining also continues to be a priority for the industry as survey results indicated a predominance of male personnel. In fact, 84 % of the survey respondents were male.

Says Dan Jepsen, President and CEO, AME BC, "If BC is going to attract the next generation of exploration and mining professionals we need to take the decisive steps to educate young people about the attractive career opportunities in this industry."

AME BC is planning on releasing the summary report for the salary survey online shortly; their website can be found at www.amebc.ca.