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Electrical Engineering Vs Mining Engineering

Are you trying to decide if you should pursue electrical engineering or mining engineering?

Often, individuals find themselves having to make the difficult choice between these two engineering paths when they are determining their education and career.

In this helpful guide, you will learn the differences between each discipline, so you can easily choose between electrical engineering or mining engineering.

Is Electrical Or Mining Engineering Better?

Electrical engineering and mining engineering are two domains of engineering, a branch dedicated to utilizing and developing math and science to build things or solve problems.

An electrical engineer is specialized in electricity, electro-magnetism, or electronics. They require extensive knowledge of physics and mathematics of these electrical domains in order to build equipment, test equipment, fix equipment, or design solutions to electrical problems.

On the other hand, a mining engineer is proficient in safe and efficient removal of minerals and metals.

They may survey potential and current mining sites, design and plan drilling, blasting, and mining. They focus on building and designing the best ways to extract minerals and resolving on-site problems.

Career wise, there are some similarities and differences which can be seen easily in this quick overview:

 Electrical EngineeringMining Engineering
Average pay$103,390$93,800
Ease of finding a jobGoodModerate
Types of jobs you can qualify forTypes of Engineers:  
Aerospace
Automotive
Chemical
Construction
Defense
Electronics
Marine Materials & Metals
Oil & Gas
Rail
Telecommunications
Utilities
Types of Engineers:   Electrical Mine Metallurgical Process Geological Geotechnical Field    
Difficulty of the majorHardHard
Key things to noteMany job prospects as soon as you have a Bachelor’s Degree  
Significant pay raises when you concentrate in a specific domain
Can work as soon as you have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree  
May be difficult to find a job in your area, as you typically work on a remote mining site
When concentrated in a particular specialization, you increase your base salary  

For the majority of individuals, electrical engineering may be a superior choice as it offers numerous benefits.

There is a high demand for electrical engineers, as there are many specialized jobs in nearly every industry. Moreover, jobs are available in major cities, small towns, and remote areas.

In this way, you may feel more comfortable pursuing an electrical engineering job as you will know there is a high rate of return on your education and training investment. However, if you pursue mining engineering, you may need to relocate to a remote location in order to find a career.

Also read: Electrical Engineering Vs Finance

What Does An Electrical Engineer Do In Mining?

You may be surprised to learn that you do not need to choose between electrical work and mining, as electrical engineers can work within the mining domain.

As an electrical engineer in mining, you may be in charge of designing safe and efficient power supply to underground machinery. In this way, miners can remove materials and minerals from the ground and they can maintain a healthy environment.

You may also resolve any problems that may occur with these systems. For instance, you may address ventilation issues if miners are frequently encountering dangerous gasses.

Furthermore, electrical engineers design and develop effective systems of bringing materials from underground to the surface, and of processing and refining those materials.

Is Mining A Good Branch Of Engineering?

Mining engineering does not only secure lucrative jobs, it offers a stable career path.

For the most part, it is one of the least competitive engineering jobs as many people do not wish to relocate to remote locations. Furthermore, the future of mining is secure.

Although the world’s shift towards sustainable and green emergency concerns many individuals, the extraction and processing of natural minerals is one of the realms that keeps that initiative alive and developing.

Further still, mining engineers have the chance to be part of that process by introducing renewable energy sources for operations..

Is Mining Engineering Hard?

When it comes to education and training, both electrical engineering and mining engineering can be considered difficult pursuits. Both programs revolve around chemistry, calculus, and physics.

That said, mining engineering may be a longer academic program and require less difficult coursework overall.

It may focus on math, chemistry, and physics as their core courses yet they branch out quickly into important topics such as mine surveying, strategic mine design, ventilation systems, rock and soil mass, and rock fragmentation. On average, a program for a Bachelor’s Degree may last 4-5 years.

Conversely, electrical engineering coursework may be more difficult yet take 1 year less.

If you pursue electrical engineering you will focus on physics, calculus, linear algebra and geometry, mechanics and waves, and electromagnetism as your basic courses.

Then, you will move into understanding the more complex principles and designs concerning electricity and electromagnetism and electrical designs.

Which Engineering Has Highest Salary?

The average salary for a mining engineer is $103, 390 annually. The average salary for an electrical engineer is slightly less, averaging $93,800 annually.

However, you may find your salary varies from the median because of further academic degrees (if you pursued a higher degree), specialized concentration, experience, location, and the level of skill required to complete the work. For instance, you may be paid a higher salary if you are working in aerospace engineering or if you are in a very remote location.

Final Thoughts

Electrical engineering and mining engineering both offer excellent career paths with exceptional salaries. The potential to grow within your career is also significant in both domains, as you have noted expertise and experience are both reasons for higher pay.

If you enroll in electrical engineering, you can take an elective in mining engineering to see if it interests you. If it does, you can funnel the remainder of your courses into mining engineering and switch your major.