US Mining and Energy Extraction Sector

The 23,180 mining and energy extraction establishments in the US remove natural-occurring minerals, metals, crude petroleum and natural gas from the earth. Establishments also provide support activities such as surveying and mapping, site preparation, drilling and blasting, well casing and mine wall shoring, inspection, maintenance and cleaning, demolition and waste removal, and land reclamation.

Opposition to Development

Companies may face resistance from area residents and lawmakers regarding the proposal to start a new mining or extraction project.

Environmental Compliance

The mining and energy extraction sector is directly impacted by a wide range of environmental regulations that affect production site permitting, operation, and reclamation.

Sep 14, 2026 - Streamlined Federal Permitting Process

• Completion of federal permitting for South32's $3.3 billion Hermosa Critical Minerals project could provide a model for speeding development of other US mining projects, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) reports. Hermosa is the first mine to be approved under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41 for short) an Obama-era initiative aimed at streamlining the federal permitting process for what is considered critical infrastructure. The Arizona project will mine and process critical minerals including zinc, silver and manganese and contains one of the world's largest undeveloped zinc resources. Once operational, it's expected to support about 900 direct jobs. For US mining companies, the milestone demonstrates how FAST-41 could reduce permitting uncertainty and help large projects move toward construction and production more efficiently. A more predictable permitting process could encourage investment in domestic mines and processing facilities while expanding US supplies of critical minerals.
• The escalating conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to global refining capacity are driving a diesel supply crunch that threatens to further raise transportation costs this fall, The Wall Street Journal reported in late July. Refinery outages in the Persian Gulf, attacks on Russian refineries, and lower Chinese refinery runs have pushed diesel prices higher even when crude oil prices eased, according to WSJ. Diesel is essential for powering heavy mining equipment, drilling rigs, haul trucks, and transportation fleets, so sustained high fuel costs threaten to increase operating expenses and squeeze margins across the extractive industries. Rising diesel prices may also boost the cost of moving raw materials and equipment, contributing to broader inflationary pressures. While elevated energy prices could support revenues for oil and gas producers, mining companies are likely to face higher production and logistics costs until diesel supplies improve.
• The Trump administration is creating the Marine Minerals Administration, merging two Interior Department bureaus that were separated after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, The New York Times reports. The reunification reverses a post-spill safeguard that divided drilling oversight from revenue collection. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says the merger will eliminate red tape and accelerate offshore energy and mining projects. The new office will oversee offshore oil and gas drilling and manage deep-sea mining lease sales targeting areas near Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The first lease sales are expected in 2027. Critics, including former Interior official Elizabeth Klein, warn the consolidated agency lacks adequate staff and expertise to responsibly regulate a new industry, particularly after Trump administration layoffs reduced staffing. Environmental advocates fear the restructuring weakens oversight of both offshore drilling and seabed mining, repeating conditions that contributed to the Deepwater Horizon spill.
• Producer prices for all mining industries rose 8.6% in July compared to a year ago after falling 3.8% in the previous July-to-July annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Producer prices for US mining companies have risen sharply since last fall amid increasing operating costs and strong demand for metals and minerals. According to the Federal Reserve, capacity utilization in the US mining sector was 86.1% in July, up from 86% in June and 1% higher than the mining sector's long-run average (1972–2025) of 85.2%. Employment by the mining and energy extraction sector remained flat year over year in July, while the average sector wage rose 3.1% YoY in June to $39.51 per hour, down slightly from its peak in May, BLS data show.

Industry size & Structure

The mining and energy extraction sector comprises 23,180 establishments that employ 586,200 workers and generate about $719 billion in annual revenue, according to government sources.

• The mining and energy extraction sector represents 1.2% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs less than 1% of the country's workers.
• The sector is concentrated: the 20 largest mining and energy extraction firms represent 49% of revenue. The 50 largest firms represent 68% of revenue.
• In addition to employer establishments, the mining and energy extraction sector has 67,750 owner-operated establishments with no employees. The majority of nonemployer establishments are in the subsectors of oil and gas extraction (65%) and support services for mining (27%). The owners of nonemployer establishments typically perform the work or subcontract labor for large or complex jobs.
• Texas has the most mining and energy extraction establishments in the US.
• A third of all US mining activity is concentrated in just four states: Nevada, Texas, Arizona, and California.
• Employment in the mining, quarrying, and energy extraction sector declined 30% between 2014 and 2024, primarily due to the sharp decline in employment by US coal mines and technological efficiencies in the oil patch, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.