Quarry engineer

Quarry engineers investigate potential sites, oversee extraction operations and restore sites at the end of their commercial life.

Also known as: Mining engineer

• Starter salary£28,000 a year
• Experienced£56,000 a year
• Typical hours37 to 40 a week

What you'll do

As a quarry engineer, you will:

• use ground surveying techniques to collect site data
• drill earth and rock samples for lab testing
• build computer models of a site and its deposits
• report findings to the management team to work out a course of action

During operations, you will:

• manage the day-to-day running of quarry operations
• oversee technical staff
• produce progress reports
• monitor health and safety
• draw up plans in case of emergencies like a tunnel collapse or flooding
• plan site restoration for when quarry workings end

Working environment

You could work at a quarry or in an office.

Your working environment may be cramped, dusty and you may spend nights away from home.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• knowledge of engineering science and technology
• operations analysis skills
• maths knowledge
• design skills and knowledge
• knowledge of building and construction
• excellent verbal communication skills
• thinking and reasoning skills
• analytical thinking skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

How to become a quarry engineer

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship

University

You can become a quarry or mining engineer by completing a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

• minerals engineering
• mining engineering
• geophysics
• geology
• Earth sciences
• civil engineering

Courses that give you the opportunity to gain work experience through internships, placements or a year in industry may give you an advantage when looking for work after your studies.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on a Minerals Product Technician Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship. With experience and further training, you could become a quarry engineer.

You could also apply to do a Geoscientist Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, before specialising in quarry engineering.

These apprenticeships can take between 3 and 5 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with off-site study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a:

• senior quarry engineer
• project manager
• overall site manager

You might also move into related careers like civil, construction or environmental engineering.

There may be opportunities to work on quarry and mining projects overseas.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join The Institute of Quarrying to help with your professional development.

Guides for this industry

• Engineering: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleLand surveyor
• Job roleGeoscientist
• Job roleGeotechnician
• Job roleCivil engineer
• Job roleQuarry worker

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0