The Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association's 2025 to 2030 workforce forecast estimates demand for an additional 22,279 workers in Australia's mining and resources industry.
Rimi / Adobe Stock
The Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) has released its 2025 to 2030 workforce forecast, projecting a surge in sector employment as nearly 100 mining and energy developments move ahead.
According to the report, 96 projects are likely to proceed, creating an estimated 22,279 new jobs and representing a combined investment of AU$129.5 billion. Of these, 62 are new developments, 27 are expansions and seven are reactivations.
Projects tied to alumina, phosphate, sulphate, uranium, and tin lead the pack, accounting for 21 of the total, while gold projects number 16.
Western Australia dominates the outlook with 42 projects, followed by Queensland with 17, the Northern Territory and South Australia each have 9 each, while New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania round out the list with 19 combined.
Mining workforce overview
Data from the Australian Government's Job and Skills Australia page show that there are 299,200 workers employed in mining as of August 2025. Four percent of the employed population are part time, or those who usually work less than 35 hours per week, while twenty percent are reported to be women employees.
Forty-one is the median age for mining employees, while AU$2,649 is the median weekly pay for full-time employees in their main job before tax or other deductions.
Gilbert + Tobin said in an April report on the Australian mining industry that the sector is responding to ESG goals by expanding training initiatives and forging partnerships with universities and technical colleges, while also taking positive steps to increase female participation and Indigenous employment in the sector.
In January, a report by Zoom Recruitment outlined that Australian mining employment shows continuous growth amidst new projects and expansions. However, it highlights that the sector faces a critical shortage of specialized skills, citing automation, environmental management and renewable energy integration.
The report said there is a need for further investments in community infrastructure and housing, improved transportation and FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) arrangements and partnerships with educational institutions to nurture a local talent pipeline.
Gender-wise, the workforce remains susceptible to a gender pay gap.
An updated Employer Gender Pay Gaps report covering 7,800 employers and 1,700 groups was released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) last March, underlining that women in mining still earn less.
Meanwhile, WGEA said the mining industry's mid-point of median gender pay gap decreased by 1.6 percent from 2023 to 2024. This is a significant number, as the national decrease is only at 0.2 percent.
As more employers take action, based on evidence of what does work to improve workplace gender equality, this will help close the gender pay gap and improve workplaces for all employees.
For 2023 to 2024, the Minerals Council of Australia recounted in its workplace relations review that the mining industry employed 303,300 highly skilled, highly paid workers across Australia.
In the same period, the industry was recorded to have the highest average wages, paying approximately AU$158,000 a year compared to $102,800 across all sectors.
(It also) provided highly secure work, with 87 percent of mining workers (being) permanently employed and 94 percent (being) full-time, the council said.
The coming years
AREEA states in its report that while Australia's resources and energy industry has demonstrated resilience, rebounding to near-record levels following the turbulence experienced in 2024, its projections for 2025 to 2030 show a moderate slowdown in project investment and workforce growth.
Heightened climate activism, shifting policy settings, extended approval timelines and mounting regulatory red tape are all adding uncertainty to long-term planning and risk delaying critical developments, the report reads.
It was also underlined that the bulk of workforce demand stems from about 80 mining projects expected to require around 19,425 workers. It added that while hiring will most likely occur in the first three years, about 7,500 jobs will be pushed out to 2028 to 2030 following the project's timelines.
The association also highlighted that Australia needs to remain a cost-competitive, stable and attractive investment destination, especially as global competition for capital continues to intensify.
Maintaining its status will assist in shoring up long-term confidence and ensure this forecast's immediate turnaround.
Notable projects
While Western Australia holds the majority of the upcoming projects, noteworthy names and assets can be found in every state.
This includes the 2026 Hemi gold project in Kariyarra Islands, which Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST,OTC Pink:NESRF) gained ownership of through its acquisition of De Grey Mining.
Hemi holds a resource estimate of 10.5 million ounces of gold and is projected to have a workforce of 600.
In Queensland, there's the Ernest Henry mine extension by Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) and Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN,OTC Pink:CAHPF), scheduled for 2029 with an estimated workforce of 600.
Coal projects namely private company AMCI Group's Baralaba South and Whitehaven Coal's (ASX:WHC) Winchester South are both expected to commence in 2030, expecting 521 and 500 workers respectively.
New South Wales is home to the Dubbo critical minerals project from Australian Strategic Materials (ASX:ASM), which is expected in 2028 with a 270 person workforce.
The Northern Territory has Arafura Rare Earths' (ASX:ARU,OTC Pink:ARAFF) Nolans, the only NdPr-focused project in Australia that has secured complete environmental permitting for mining, beneficiation, extraction and separation of rare earths, is scheduled for developments in 2025 with approximately 350 workers.
The Donald rare earths and mineral sands project, a joint venture between Astron (ASX:ATR) and US-based Energy Fuels (TSX:EFR,NYSEAMERICAN:UUUU) is projected to commence in 2027, needing around 150 workers. It forms part of Victoria's portfolio, which is dominated by critical minerals and oil and gas projects.
The rebound of the national workforce over the past 12 months, contrasted with the most tempered forecast numbers in over five years, is a timely reminder of the cyclical forces at play in resources and energy, AREEA wrote.
Even amid a strong pipeline, employment projections remain highly sensitive to global market shifts, political dynamics and regulatory settings.
https://investingnews.com/australian-mining-workforce-forecast/
