Kazakhstan’s mining industry is seeing a notable surge in labour costs as companies compete for skilled workers in a tight labour market. Official figures reveal that wages in the sector are outpacing the national average, a trend that is putting upward pressure on operational expenses for mining firms.
According to data from the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS), the average nominal salary in the mining and quarrying sector reached 888,900 Tenge (approximately $1,650 USD) in the second quarter of 2025. This makes it the second-highest paying industry after the financial sector. This rise is particularly pronounced when compared to the broader economy, with nominal wages in mining increasing by 12.9% in the first half of the year, while the national average grew by 10.7%.
This overall average, however, is skewed by high salaries in the oil and gas subsector. For example, workers in crude oil and natural gas extraction earn an average nominal salary of 1.4 million Tenge (approximately $2,600 USD). In contrast, those in coal mining and metal ore extraction earn significantly less, at 673,100 Tenge (approximately $1,250 USD) and 698,000 Tenge (approximately $1,290 USD), respectively.
Mining companies are facing pressure to offer competitive salaries to attract and retain talent, especially in physically demanding and high-risk roles. Vacancies for underground miners on job sites like Enbek.kz and Hh.kz offer salaries ranging from 165,300 to 500,000 Tenge (approximately $300 to $925 USD), with experienced roles like mine foreman and driller commanding salaries between 400,000 and 500,000 Tenge.
While nominal wages provide a statistical average, they often don’t reflect the reality for most workers. The most common or modal salary is typically much lower, often only 30-50% of the nominal figure. In 2024, the modal salary in the mining sector was 372,600 Tenge (approximately $690 USD), approximately 43% of the nominal average of 866,500 Tenge (approximately $1,600 USD), closely aligning with the current salary offers for entry-level positions.
Despite the challenges of rising costs, the increase in wages also reflects a growth in purchasing power. Real wages in the mining industry grew by 2.3% in the first half of 2025, significantly higher than the 0.3% growth seen across the wider economy.