Oregon’s mining industry is vital to the state’s economy.

In 2004, mining ranked 35th nationally in total nonfuel mineral production value. The value of nonfuel mineral was $367 million. The industry employed 2,866 workers with an average annual income of $40,898. Oregon’s combined direct and indirect economic output gain from the mining industry was $1.4 billion (2005 data).

America’s mining industry directly employed over 320,000 employees in 2004, who labored to produce minerals with a total value of over $67 billion. These materials were further transformed by consuming industries into consumer and industrial goods creating an additional $2.0 trillion in value added by other mineral, metal and coal consuming industries.