Quarry engineer
Quarry engineers investigate potential sites, oversee extraction operations and restore sites at the end of their commercial life.
Typical Salary
£28,000 – £56,000
per year
Working Hours
37–40
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
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 wok 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
Skills needed
- 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 get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
Career 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.