How Mining Works
Last updated: October 2026
One mine, many companies
When people new to mining hear names like BHP, Thiess and Sodexo, they often assume they're all "mining companies". They're not. On a single mine site there can be five or six different companies working side by side, each doing a different job.
Like a sheep station at shearing time
Think of a sheep station at shearing time. The farmer owns the land and the sheep, and earns money by selling the wool. But the farmer doesn't do the shearing.
A shearing contractor brings in its own team for that. A cook may come in to feed the shearers, and a trucking company carts the wool away. Next season, the farmer might use the same shearing team or a different one.
A mine works the same way:
- BHP is the farmer. It owns the mine and sells what comes out of it.
- Thiess is the shearing team. It's hired to do the mining work, under a contract that can end or be renewed.
- Sodexo is the cook. It runs the camp where the workers sleep and eat, and never touches the mining itself.
Knowing who does what matters when you're looking for work, because each type of company hires different people, in different ways.
The players
There are six main types of company you'll come across. The first one owns the mine; the rest are hired by it, directly or indirectly.
| Type | What they do | Jobs they hire for |
|---|---|---|
| Mine owners | Own the deposit and the mine, decide how it's run, and sell the iron ore, coal, gold or gas. Some run their own trucks and crews; others hand much of the work to contractors Examples: BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Hancock Iron Ore, Glencore, Northern Star Resources, Woodside Energy | Operators, trades, engineers, geologists, supervisors, office roles |
| Mining contractors | Paid by the owner to do the mining itself: digging, drilling, blasting, hauling, or running underground tunnels Examples: Thiess, Macmahon, Perenti, Byrnecut, NRW Holdings, MACA | Truck and machine operators, underground miners, drillers, trades, trainees |
| Maintenance and shutdown contractors | Keep the equipment and processing plants working. A "shutdown" is when part of a plant stops for a short burst of intense repair work Examples: Monadelphous, UGL, Linkforce, Civmec | Fitters, electricians, boilermakers, riggers, scaffolders, trade assistants |
| Camp and village providers | Run the accommodation villages: rooms, meals, cleaning, laundry, the bar, shops and buses Examples: Sodexo, Compass Group (ESS), Civeo, Ventia, ISS | Utilities, cleaners, housekeepers, chefs, cooks, kitchenhands, bus drivers |
| Labour hire firms | Employ workers and place them with owners and contractors, often for shutdowns or busy periods. You're paid by the labour hire firm, not the site Examples: WorkPac, Programmed, Chandler Macleod, Techforce | Almost every role, especially trades and short-term work |
| Support services | Everything else a remote site needs: charter flights, equipment hire, security, medical, transport Examples: Alliance Airlines, QantasLink, Emeco | Specialist roles |
One company can appear in more than one row. Programmed, for example, runs camps, supplies labour hire workers and offers training.
Who's who on a mine site
The owner sits at the top and hires the others. Labour hire firms sit underneath, supplying extra workers to whoever needs them, most often the contractors.
One swing, many shirts
A "swing" is one block of work on site, such as two weeks on. Follow one worker through a swing at an imaginary Pilbara iron ore mine, and you'll meet most of the players. You can often tell who works for whom by the company logo on their work shirt.
- The flight. Jess, a truck driver, checks in at Perth Airport for a charter flight to the mine's own airstrip. The plane belongs to a charter airline, hired by the mine owner.
- The bus. At the airstrip, a bus takes her to the village. The driver works for the camp provider.
- The village. Her room was cleaned, her dinner cooked and her lunch packed by camp provider staff. The village may be owned by the mine owner or by a company like Civeo.
- The pit. Jess drives a haul truck for the mining contractor. Her supervisor works for the contractor too, but the safety rules and mine plan come from the mine owner.
- The workshop. When her truck breaks down, it goes to a workshop. The fitter who fixes it might work for the owner, the contractor, or a maintenance company.
- The shutdown. That week, the processing plant shuts down for repairs. Dozens or even hundreds of extra tradespeople fly in for a week or two. Most work for a maintenance contractor, and many of those were supplied by labour hire firms.
- The office. The engineers and geologists planning where to dig next work for the mine owner.
Same mine, same swing: at least five different employers.
What this means for your job search
Most people get their first FIFO job with a camp provider, a contractor or a labour hire firm, not the mine owner. Owners get huge numbers of applications and often want site experience. Once you're on site and known, moving across becomes much easier.
| Type | How easy to get into | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Camp and village providers | Easiest with no mining experience Good for: Hospitality, cleaning and driving backgrounds | Lower pay than mining roles; long days on your feet |
| Mining contractors | Moderate; some run traineeships for beginners Good for: Operators, trainees, trades | Your job is tied to the contract. If the owner changes contractors, work can end, though crews sometimes move across to the new one |
| Labour hire firms | Moderate; a common first step for trades Good for: Getting site experience fast, shutdowns | Work can be on and off, and you may not get leave or a fixed roster |
| Maintenance and shutdown contractors | Moderate for qualified trades Good for: Fitters, electricians, boilermakers, trade assistants | Shutdown work comes in short, intense bursts |
| Mine owners | Hardest; most competition Good for: Graduates, apprentices, experienced workers | Big intakes open at set times of year, so you need to watch the dates |
The tip: apply to several types at once. A job with a contractor or camp provider gets you on site, gets you known, and gives you the experience the owners ask for.
Words you'll see in job ads
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Owner, principal or client | The company that owns the mine. Contractors often call the owner "the client" |
| Contractor | A company hired by the owner to do part of the work |
| Owner-operator | A mine where the owner employs its own crews to do the mining, instead of a contractor |
| Labour hire or on-hire | You're employed by an agency and placed on someone else's site |
| Shutdown | A planned stop of a plant or machine for short, intense maintenance work |
| Utility | An all-round camp worker: cleaning, kitchen, laundry, bar, grounds |
| Swing | One block of time on site |
| Roster | Your pattern of days on and off, such as 2:1 (two weeks on, one week off) or 8:6 (eight days on, six off) |
| DIDO (drive-in drive-out) and BIBO (bus-in bus-out) | Like FIFO, but by road |
| Residential | You live in the mining town and go home each night |
Common questions
Do mining companies do their own mining?
Some do and some don't. A mine where the owner uses its own crews is called "owner-operator". Many owners hand some or all of the mining work to contractors instead, and some do a mix of both.
Who pays my wages on a mine site?
The company that employs you pays you, which is not always the company that owns the mine. A camp worker is usually paid by the camp provider, a contractor's truck driver by the contractor, and a labour hire worker by the labour hire firm.
What does labour hire mean in mining?
A labour hire firm employs you and then places you on someone else's site, often a contractor's. It's a common way to get onto a mine quickly, especially for shutdowns and busy periods, but work can be on and off.
Is it better to work for a contractor or the mine owner?
Each has trade-offs. Contractors are usually easier to get into and some train beginners, but your job is tied to their contract with the owner. Mine owners are harder to get into but don't depend on a contract being renewed. Many people start with a contractor and move to an owner later.
Now you know who does what. Whether FIFO suits you is six more questions. Three minutes. Free.
Is FIFO right for me?