jobfacts

Production managers and directors in mining and energy

SOC 2020 1123

Production managers and directors in mining, energy and water supply plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the activities and resources necessary for the extraction of minerals and other natural deposits, the utilisation of sustainable and renewable energy sources and the production, storage and provision of gas, water and electricity supplies.

Also calledManagerPlanning managerPower station managerOil exploration managerOperations directorDrilling superintendentand 25 more titles
Typical full-time pay£63,2002025 Provisional
People in the job15,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month102↑ 16%on last year · 389th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time production managers and directors in mining and energy earn, 2025
£63,200 typical£48,000lowest 20%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£48,000
25%£48,900
Median£63,200
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £63,200
Scotland!£62,700
North West!£55,900
East Midlands!£50,000
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £63,200
Scotland£62,700 (small sample)
North West£55,900 (small sample)
East Midlands£50,000 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £52,000
  • 2024 £54,300
  • 2025 Provisional£63,200
↑ 22% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 102 jobs for production managers and directors in mining and energy are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026100
Jul 2026100
Jun 202670
May 202686
Apr 202693
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 202691
Jan 2026115
Dec 2025148
Nov 2025124
Oct 202595
Sept 202599
Aug 2025106
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025111
Apr 202582
Mar 202597
Feb 2025119
Jan 202590
Dec 202449
Nov 202482
Oct 202481
Sept 202499
Aug 202494
Jul 2024107
Jun 202481
May 2024121
Apr 2024105
Mar 2024106
Feb 202498
Jan 2024119
Dec 2023118
Nov 2023102
Oct 2023119
Sept 202380
Aug 2023114
Jul 2023122
Jun 2023162
May 2023129
Apr 2023131
Mar 2023133
Feb 2023152
Jan 2023153
Dec 2022185
Nov 2022200
Oct 2022164
Sept 2022136
Aug 2022177
Jul 2022172
Jun 2022174
May 2022209
Apr 2022132
Mar 2022202
Feb 2022145
Jan 2022160
Dec 2021133
Nov 2021147
Oct 2021137
Sept 2021117
Aug 2021127
Jul 2021199
Jun 2021143
May 2021183
Apr 2021150
Mar 2021163
Feb 2021119
Jan 202194
Dec 202087
Nov 2020103
Oct 2020149
Sept 2020124
Aug 202085
Jul 202081
Jun 202067
May 202057
Apr 202078
Mar 202095
Feb 2020137
Jan 2020106
Dec 2019104
Nov 2019109
Oct 201985
Sept 201990
Aug 2019121
Jul 2019126
Jun 2019145
May 2019145
Apr 201983
Mar 201990
Feb 201999
Jan 2019168
Dec 201860
Nov 2018125
Oct 2018140
Sept 2018128
Aug 2018142
Jul 2018102
Jun 2018356
May 2018151
Apr 2018242
Mar 2018173
Feb 2018259
Jan 2018151
Dec 2017165
Nov 2017180
Oct 2017200
Sept 2017195
Aug 2017162
Jul 2017417
Jun 2017102
May 2017118
Apr 2017123
Mar 2017154
Feb 2017130
Jan 2017177
Is there a shortage of production managers and directors in mining and energy?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
34%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for production managers and directors, which includes production managers and directors in mining and energy. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London44
Birmingham11
Manchester11
Aberdeen City8
Bristol, City of7
Barnsley6
Glasgow City6
Norwich6
Leeds6
High Peak5
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where production managers and directors in mining and energy are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 59 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from France, Denmark, Japan, ranking it 124th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of production managers and directors in mining and energy
9.4%!
38%!
37%!
15%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
25–349.4% (small sample)
35–4438% (small sample)
45–5437% (small sample)
55–6415% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!50%
Higher education below degree!7.4%
A levels or equivalent!25%
GCSEs or equivalent!6%
Other qualifications!2.8%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent50% (small sample)
Higher education below degree7.4% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent25% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent6% (small sample)
Other qualifications2.8% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: support activities for petroleum and natural gas extraction (19%), water collection, treatment and supply (11%), production of electricity (11%), plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation (4.4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
50%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
2
from level 5, including degree apprenticeships
Apprenticeships take
3 to 4 years
typically

Apprenticeships

2 for this job
Level 6About 4 yearsDegree

Mine management

You gain
BEng (Hons) Mining Engineering and Management
Leads to
Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
Employers may ask for
There are no specific entry requirements for the apprenticeship, however some candidates that undertake this apprenticeship will have most likely worked at…
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • co-ordinates the activities of mines and open-cast mining operations, quarries, drilling operations, offshore installations, solar power stations, wind farms and other renewable energy generating facilities
  • co-ordinates and supervises coal-face production activities and ensures compliance with health and safety regulations
  • determines staffing, material and other needs
  • ensures that all haulage, storage, purification and distribution work is performed efficiently and in compliance with statutory and other regulations
  • arranges for the provision of gas, water and electricity supplies
  • ensures compliance with issues relating to the environmental impact of operations

Skills

  • address problems critically
  • communicate on minerals issues
  • communicate on the environmental impact of mining
  • develop health and safety strategies in mining
  • ensure compliance with safety legislation
  • ensure mining records are maintained
  • evaluate mine development projects
  • forecast organisational risks
  • identify process improvements
  • manage commercial risks
  • manage emergency procedures
  • manage mining plant equipment
  • monitor mine production
  • optimise financial performance

Knowledge

  • impact of geological factors on mining operations
  • mine safety legislation
  • mining engineering
  • economics
  • geology
  • mechanical engineering
  • electricity

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Working with ideas and solving problems

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for corporate managers and directors, a group of 20 jobs that includes production managers and directors in mining and energy.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 3%about 78,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.4 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.