BC’s mining sector – mineral explorers, mines and smelters, and the local businesses that support them – remains an important provider of high-paying jobs, contracting and supply opportunities for businesses, tax revenue for all levels of government, and economic reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. BC’s 17 operating mines and two smelters benefit all British Columbians.
Economic
Benefits
For more than 100 years, mining has been foundational for British Columbia, providing a steady source of jobs, community development and prosperity in every region of our province.
Economic Generation
BC's mining industry supports more than 35,000 jobs, with an average annual salary of nearly $124,000.
The estimated economic impact of the mining sector totaled $12.6 billion in 2021, accounting for one quarter of BC’s exports.
Mining in BC contributed more than $2.6 billion in direct, indirect, and induced taxes to the provincial government (pre-pandemic), helping fund public services we all depend upon.
Mines purchased almost $3 billion worth of materials, goods and services from more than 3,700 small, medium and Indigenous businesses in 215 BC communities in 2018.
Every BC Community is a Mining Community
BC’s mines and smelters create jobs and opportunities in every rural town and large urban city across our province. Jobs include everyone from the geologists, engineers, scientists and equipment operators who work at site, to equipment salespeople, accountants, truck drivers, lawyers and data and analytics experts around the province.
