Where are the mining jobs in SA?
The Far North and Eyre Peninsula
The SA Department for Energy and Mining publishes a page for each major operating mine. These four are the ones we checked:
| Mine | Location | Commodity |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic Dam | 560 km north of Adelaide | Copper, uranium, silver, gold |
| Prominent Hill | About 650 km north-north-west of Adelaide | Copper and gold concentrate |
| Carrapateena | About 160 km north of Port Augusta | Copper, gold, silver |
| Middleback Ranges | South-west of Whyalla, Eyre Peninsula | Iron ore (magnetite and hematite) |
- Olympic Dam. The department says Olympic Dam is operated by BHP and is an operating underground mine with more than 700 km of underground roads and tunnels, plus a fully integrated metallurgical complex including a copper smelter and refinery. The nearest town on our site is Roxby Downs.
- Prominent Hill. The department describes Prominent Hill as a fly-in, fly-out operation with a permanent village, with the Malu open pit and the Ankata underground mine. It sits about halfway between Roxby Downs and Coober Pedy.
- Carrapateena. Carrapateena is an underground sub-level caving operation about 62 km east of Woomera.
- Middleback Ranges. The Middleback Ranges iron ore operations are listed under SIMEC Mining Group, south-west of Whyalla. SIMEC is not in our company directory, so we do not list it as an employer below.
Adelaide and the regions: Census counts
There is no official count of jobs at South Australian mines in the sources we checked. The nearest sourced figure is the 2021 Census, which counts employed people by where they live and what industry they work in. Mining here means ABS industry B.
| Area (place of residence) | Employed in mining | All employed |
|---|---|---|
| South Australia | 10,969 | 839,414 |
| Greater Adelaide | 6,318 | 670,956 |
| SA Outback | 2,680 | 35,871 |
| Roxby Downs | 1,124 | 2,254 |
More than half of the state’s mining residents live in Greater Adelaide, and in Roxby Downs 1,124 of 2,254 employed residents work in mining. Because the Census counts where people live, workers who fly in from another state are not counted in SA. For how rosters work at remote sites, see our FIFO guide or the FIFO jobs page.
Who are the major mining employers in SA?
These companies state, on their own websites, that they operate in South Australia. We checked each site on 10 October 2026. It is a starting list from our company directory, not a ranking and not a list of who is hiring.
| Company | Operations stated on its own site | Careers page |
|---|---|---|
| BHP | Copper mining in South Australia, with gold, silver and uranium produced. Its SA page lists Carrapateena, Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Ankata. | Careers |
| Iluka Resources | Operations in South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales. The SA site listed is Jacinth-Ambrosia, which it calls the world's largest zircon mine. | Careers |
Our company data holds head office locations only, so we do not list a site for Glencore, IGO, Rio Tinto, South32 (head offices: Glencore, Baar; IGO, Perth; Rio Tinto, London; South32, Perth). We have not verified their SA operations for this guide. A head office is not a mine site.
What do you need to work in an SA mine?
- Mine induction. SafeWork SA says mine operators must provide suitable and adequate information, training and instruction. Workers are trained on the safety management system, the emergency plan, fatigue, alcohol and drug controls and their own safety role. The induction covers key mining personnel, the physical layout and prohibited actions, and the operator keeps training records.
- Not a Queensland standard. Standard 11 is a Queensland coal standard, so it is not the SA requirement. Ask the mine what it asks for before you pay for any course.
- Tickets and licences. We found no single SA mining ticket in the sources above. Browse the tickets and certificates directory and read how to get into mining for the usual first steps.
How do you apply for a mining job in SA?
Apply through the employer’s own careers page. These links come from our company data:
With no experience, start with mining jobs with no experience.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the mining jobs in SA?
The big copper operations are in the Far North: Olympic Dam, 560 km north of Adelaide, Prominent Hill about 650 km north-north-west of Adelaide, and Carrapateena about 160 km north of Port Augusta. The Department for Energy and Mining also lists iron ore in the Middleback Ranges near Whyalla. BHP lists Carrapateena, Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Ankata on its SA page.
Are there mining jobs in Adelaide?
The big mines are not in Adelaide, but many mining workers live there. The 2021 Census counted 6,318 employed people in Greater Adelaide whose industry of employment was mining, out of 670,956 employed. That counts where people live, not where the mine is, so it does not tell you which mines they work at.
How many people work in mining in South Australia?
The 2021 Census counted 10,969 employed people in SA working in mining, out of 839,414. The ABS counts by place of usual residence, so fly-in fly-out workers who live in another state are counted there, not in SA. Treat it as a count of SA residents in mining, not a count of jobs at SA mines.
Is Prominent Hill a fly-in fly-out mine?
Yes. The Department for Energy and Mining describes Prominent Hill as a fly-in, fly-out operation with a permanent village. It is about halfway between Roxby Downs and Coober Pedy and 130 km north-west of Olympic Dam.
What induction do I need to work at an SA mine?
SafeWork SA says mine operators must provide suitable and adequate information, training and instruction, and keep training records. New workers are told about the safety management system, the emergency plan and the relevant principal mining hazard plans. The mine gives you the induction, so ask the operator what it requires before you pay for any course.
Sources
Last updated 10 October 2026. Facts on this page come from the sources below.
- SA Department for Energy and Mining: Olympic Dam
- SA Department for Energy and Mining: Prominent Hill
- SA Department for Energy and Mining: Carrapateena
- SA Department for Energy and Mining: Middleback Ranges
- SafeWork SA: Information, training and instruction in mining
- ABS Census 2021 (table G54, industry of employment by place of usual residence), SA data
- BHP: South Australia operations
- Iluka Resources: Operations
Census counts are employed people aged 15 and over whose industry of employment is mining, by place of usual residence, from the 2021 Census with small random adjustments by the ABS. They are not vacancies and not jobs at mines. We do not quote vacancy numbers or salaries on this page.
Where to next
- How to get into mining Entry paths, tickets and first steps.
- Roxby Downs The SA town beside Olympic Dam.
- FIFO jobs: where to apply Employer careers pages and job boards.
- FIFO jobs from Adelaide Flights, mining regions and employers that hire from Adelaide.
- Mining towns Population, operations and flights, sourced.
- Mining jobs with no experience Entry roles and how to apply.
- FIFO meaning and rosters Fly-in fly-out and drive-in drive-out work.
- Salary calculator Work out pay from award rates.
- Mining tickets and certificates What employers ask for, with providers.
Not sure where to start?
Take the free career quiz to see which mining roles suit you and which tickets they usually ask for.
Take the Career Quiz