Unlock a Six-Figure Salary with No Experience: The Mining Drilling Boom

Aidan Francis had no experience in mining or drilling, let alone had ever set foot on a mine site. But six months ago, the 27-year-old stumbled upon a job as an assistant on an exploration drilling team that was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It was a chance for the Perth local to help extract critical minerals from the ground – for a sweet, six-figure salary.

The conditions are challenging – Mr Francis works 12-hour days in hot, dusty conditions while flying in and out of a remote mining town in Western Australia, such as Kalgoorlie. “It’s all over the place really. It’s a pretty full-on job,” he told NewsWire. “You start a little bit before 5.30am … then you’ll drive out to the rig, set up and start drilling, run buckets and do (heavy lifting operations) on the machines.” Despite the challenges, Mr Francis said he made the right decision.

His experience is reflective of a jobs boom in the mining sector, akin to a modern-day gold rush, with entry-level jobs for exploration drilling lucrative and in demand. A role as a driller’s offsider requires no previous mining experience and workers earn between $110,000 and $125,000 per year. More than 450 roles as a driller’s offsider alone are currently advertised on Seek, according to the employment site’s latest figures.

Itch Recruitment managing director Jodie Perram said workers are being driven to apply for the roles not just for the attractive salaries but also for the opportunities presented by record-high gold prices. “We can’t get enough people in right now,” Ms Perram said. “At the moment, if we had 60 people ready to go next week, we could find jobs for each of those people.”

Mr Francis said the six-figure pay packet made the decision to enter exploration drilling a no-brainer. “It was the money for me, you’re fully taking care of yourself and it’s easy done,” he said. “You just show up for work every day and you don’t have to worry about too much.”

Ms Perram said most of the applicants are men aged in their 20s, but some workers fall outside that demographic. “We can’t be ageist … but (contractors) do have a duty of care to ensure people are physically fit,” she said. “(The ideal age) is not too young where they’re putting their body under stress too soon, and not to the point where it would cause damage to a body that shouldn’t be working in such a physically laborious environment.” She said very few women apply for the roles, but when they do, “excitement ripples around the office”. “Feminine hygiene plays a part (in women applying) and some people just aren’t interested in being in that environment on an ongoing basis,” she said. “That comes down to your personal circumstances, not just your gender.”

According to the Australian Drilling Industry Association (ADIA), the sector is worth about $4bn and contributes nearly $500bn to the country’s economy. Drill contractors employ more than 12,000 Australians and support regional communities across the country.

Ms Perram said all applicants must meet a strict set of criteria when applying, such as having six months of hard physical labour experience, clearing a national police check, passing medical assessments and drug and alcohol tests, and residing in the capital city where the role is based. They must also have a manual driver’s licence should they need to drive a drilling rig.

She said there are opportunities for a substantial career path in drilling, with some offsiders having moved into operations roles within a matter of years and earning upwards of $200,000 per year. “People can see a pathway that wouldn’t normally be available to them to actually earning good money, but also having a really good career,” she said.

Mr Francis said he previously planned to move into another labouring job after being a drill offsider but decided to stick around. “I do quite like the varied lifestyle that moving around (between mines) brings,” he said. “I get itchy and bored if I’m stuck in the same place for too long.” He had a simple piece of advice for anyone wanting to become a drilling offsider: “Give it a go, you can only try. It unlocks a whole lot of independence.”