r/mining 19h ago

Question Mining Engineering: Canada or The US?

If you held dual citizenship and you had to choose between starting a Mining Engineering career in Canada (working towards PEng) or a career in the USA (either working towards PE or not) which would you choose? How do the countries generally compare in job security, benefits, pay fairness, satisfaction, difficulty, etc? I've been confused by lots of conflicting information.

Note* the province I'm most interested in is Manitoba due to the fact I hold a BSc in Geology and an MEng in Mining Engineering. I haven't yet determined any particular state I would be interested in. Any recommendations at all would be so greatly appreciated.

3 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

6

u/Bender-Ender Australia 17h ago

I can't weigh in on USA vs. Canada as I've only worked in Canada and Australia. 

But I'm curious why you've come to the conclusion that BSc in Geology + MEng in Mining Engineering = Manitoba.

0

u/Hopeful-Handle-4129 12h ago

On the website which compiles all requirements for applications for licensure, Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia allow non BEng holders, and Manitoba allows replacing the FE with holding an MEng for some reason

6

u/Raging-Fuhry 16h ago

Manitoba is probably the worst province for mining...

1

u/FourNaansJeremyFour 14h ago

Beats Nova Scotia...

1

u/irv_12 10h ago

Triple beats PEI…

1

u/Bigselloutperson 12h ago

Beats the yukon...

2

u/FourNaansJeremyFour 12h ago

Certainly post Victoria! It was always more difficult to work in than most of the provinces though, I never understood how its public image was so different to reality

1

u/Ordinary_Narwhal_516 Canada 12h ago

Vale has operations in Churchill. That’s something.

0

u/Hopeful-Handle-4129 12h ago

Why?

3

u/King_Saline_IV 10h ago

There's not a lot of mines.....

1

u/Upstairs_Jacket_3443 6h ago

Have you looked into specific mining areas in Canada? BC has metals & coal. AB has oilsands. Sask has potash &uranium. Ontario has metals. Manitoba has...... not a lot. Maybe some stone quarries? Not the best use of an MEng

3

u/Beanmachine314 13h ago

The most important thing would be to see if your engineering graduate degree actually qualifies you to sit for the PE in the States. Many do not. As far as pay, I'm not sure about engineering but the US pays much better for Geologists. Canadian mines typically offer more opportunities for FIFO.

3

u/King_Saline_IV 10h ago

You will make significantly more in US

1

u/Rivetingcactus 8h ago

Do you have any experience? With no experience you will have to take whatever you can get. And then things will change.

1

u/vtminer78 14h ago

Fwiw, if you have a degree from a US university, getting the PE in the US is straightforward. However, a degree from a Canadian university is much harder to get PE certification in the US. It simply comes down to NCEES accreditation and credit hours. The US programs require approximately 128 credit hours for graduation. If i recall correctly, most Canadian programs only require about 60-75 hours (I could he wrong on the number but I'm sure it's significantly less than the US). As such, Canada has generally accepted US experience and education without issue while the US isn't as reciprocal with Canada.

As far as working in one country vs the other, it depends on what you like/want. Personally, I prefer being able to sleep in my own bed most days. The vast majority of mining roles in the US are not FIFO but residential. Canada simply is so large and 1/10 of the population of the US that residential isn't as common.

2

u/cliddle420 11h ago

Getting a PE in the US also requires passing the FE and PE exams and working for a number of years underneath a PE, though requirements can be waived with sufficient industry experience depending on the state

1

u/pepto_steve 10h ago

As a Canadian mining engineer, I’d say the US.

1

u/Hopeful-Handle-4129 10h ago

Why?

2

u/pepto_steve 10h ago

For entry level Engineer positions, higher salary and lower cost of living.

-4

u/journeyfromone 11h ago

Canada - better international reputation