World exploration salaries at comparable levels

A survey suggests that salaries for those employed in the upper levels of exploration are consistent throughout many countries that have a substantial mining industry.

Salaries for exploration professionals are consistent regardless of nationality or where a company has field offices, according to Spokane, Wash.-based Western Mining Engineering. Field offices in 22 countries were surveyed. Of the 94 offices that responded, 80% reported that salaries for exploration managers ranged from US$65,000 to US$104,000, regardless of whether those managers were nationals or expatriates.

It was also reported that field geologists and technicians earn substantially less. The highest salaries at these levels were found in Canada, Australia and the U.S. Some African countries ranked lowest on the scale, with the annual salaries of field geologists and technicians weighing in at only US$6,000 and US$1,300, respectively.

The report noted that expatriates in foreign countries received more in the way of incentives, including trips home, housing subsidies and educational assistance for dependents. Conversely, nationals received such benefits as profit-sharing and automatic salary adjustments for inflation.