Without any doubts, mining is the biggest industry in Australia. It accounts for almost 6% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Australia. Most of the mining activity in the Australia is limited to the states of Western Australia and Queensland and most of the mines in these regions are underground mines. Underground mines are much more demanding that the open pit mines as it requires several tasks, like digging, tunneling, extracting and transportation of the extract to the ground level. There is a great demand for skilled and non-skilled workers in the underground mines of Australia.
Skilled positions available in the underground mines of Australia are that of dump truck drivers, bogger operators, jumbo operators, offsiders, and blast engineers. Underground mining work is very much physically demanding that involves long working hours in damp and dark conditions. Nonetheless, working in underground mines is an extremely rewarding job. One can expect to earn around $100,000 for operating heavy machinery in an underground mine.
As most of the mines are present in the most remote locations, mining companies pay well in order to compensate for being located away from cities or towns. Most mining companies sets up a small mining town that include all the social amenities required by mine workers such as, food and beverages, accommodation, community and entertainment centers.