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Company Description FPS Civil, LLC is a civil underground contractor specializing in civil infrastructure, water/wastewater, piping/mechanical, underground excavation and grading projects. The work ...

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Underground Contractor information

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How much do underground contractor jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for underground contractor in the United States is $25.27, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $20.67 and $27.64 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an underground contractor?

Underground contractors are specialized construction professionals who install, repair, and maintain infrastructure systems below ground level. This includes utilities such as water and sewer lines, storm drains, electrical conduits, and telecommunications cables. They are responsible for tasks like trenching, pipe laying, and ensuring projects comply with safety and regulatory standards. Underground contractors often work with municipalities, utility companies, and private developers to ensure essential services are safely and efficiently delivered to homes and businesses.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an underground contractor?

To thrive as an Underground Contractor, you need strong knowledge of excavation, utility installation, and safety regulations, often supported by relevant licenses or certifications in construction or heavy equipment operation. Familiarity with tools such as trenchers, backhoes, pipe lasers, and project management software is essential. Problem-solving, teamwork, and effective communication are important soft skills for coordinating crews and managing unexpected site challenges. These skills and qualifications are crucial for ensuring projects are completed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with industry standards.

What are some common challenges faced by underground contractors on construction projects?

Underground contractors often encounter challenges such as unexpected subsurface conditions, utility conflicts, and coordinating with other trades working above ground. Managing groundwater, ensuring worker safety in confined spaces, and maintaining project timelines despite weather or permitting delays are also typical hurdles. Effective communication with project managers, engineers, and municipal inspectors is crucial to address these issues quickly and keep the project on track.

What is the difference between Underground Contractor vs Excavation Worker?

AspectUnderground ContractorExcavation Worker
CredentialsOSHA certifications, specialized underground work licensesOSHA certifications, basic excavation safety training
Work EnvironmentUnderground construction sites, tunnels, utility installationsOpen trenches, surface excavation sites
Employer & Industry UsageConstruction, utility, infrastructure projectsConstruction, landscaping, infrastructure projects

Underground Contractors focus on planning, managing, and executing underground projects, often requiring specialized licenses and safety protocols. Excavation Workers perform the physical digging and site preparation, typically with less specialized licensing. Both roles are essential in construction projects but differ mainly in scope and responsibilities.

More about Underground Contractor jobs

What cities are hiring for Underground Contractor jobs?

Cities with the most Underground Contractor job openings:

What states have the most Underground Contractor jobs?

States with the most job openings for Underground Contractor jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Underground Contractor jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Underground Contractor jobs are:

Infographic showing various Underground Contractor job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 91% In-person, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $52,564 per year, or $25.3 per hour.

Underground Contractor Coordinator

SF Demo - Rio Tinto

Superior, AZ

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 18 days ago


Job description

  • Join a leader in mining & metals and help shape one of North America's most significant underground copper projects.
  • Build your expertise coordinating complex underground activities while working alongside experienced operations, planning and technical teams.
  • Work on an underground project near Superior, Arizona, with exposure to a large-scale mining development environment.

We're Finding Better Ways to provide materials the world needs, now and in the future. Our values - care, courage and curiosity - guide how we work and how we treat each other.

About the role

We are looking for 4 Underground Contractor Coordinators to help Resolution Copper deliver safe, efficient and well-coordinated underground operations. In this role, you will contribute to the successful execution of weekly and daily mine plans by coordinating contractor work groups, aligning operational priorities and ensuring underground activities are completed safely and effectively. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a dynamic underground mining environment and wants to influence operational performance on a major copper project.

What you'll be doing

Reporting to the Shift Supervisor and working in a collaborative operational environment within Underground Operations, you will be:

  • Coordinating underground contractor activities to support safe execution of daily and weekly mine plans.
  • Monitoring progress against plan, identify deviations and support recovery actions to maintain operational targets.
  • Communicate changing priorities, risks and constraints with contractor supervisors, planning teams and technical stakeholders.
  • Conducting regular underground inspections to verify work quality, safety compliance and readiness of work fronts.
  • Supporting daily, weekly and look-ahead planning processes by aligning materials, equipment, permits and resources.
  • Participating in shift handovers and operational planning meetings to maintain continuity between teams.
  • Capturing and escalating operational risks, opportunities and emerging issues that could affect execution.
  • Contributing to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance underground coordination and operational performance.

About you

  • High school diploma or equivalent (technical or trade qualifications desirable)
  • Valid driver's license
  • Extensive experience in underground mining operations.
  • Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple work groups in an underground environment.
  • Strong understanding of mine development, production, services, and underground infrastructure activities.
  • Ability to effectively influence and coordinate contractor workforces without direct reporting authority.
  • Strong planning and organizational skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic operational environment.
  • Strong understanding of mine safety systems and risk management practices.

Preferred

  • Supervisory or coordination experience in underground mining.
  • Experience working in owner-contractor operational models.
  • Familiarity with short-interval control and execution management processes.
  • Understanding of mine planning and scheduling systems.

What we offer

We are committed to providing our employees with a generous benefits package. Be recognized for your contribution, your thinking, your hard work, and go home knowing you've helped the world progress, we provide:

  • A safety-focused and inclusive working environment
  • Advantageous salary package with annual cash incentive awards (STIP) for eligible employees
  • Access to top-tier family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits.
  • Excellent retirement plan including up to 6% defined company contribution; Generous 401k matching program
  • Generous Rio Tinto employee share program, which allows you to purchase Rio Tinto Company shares.
  • Comprehensive leave policies which cover all moments that matter in life: PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
  • A favorable child-caregiver leave program (Up to 100% salary top-up)
  • Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing
  • Ongoing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for you and your family; to help in addressing educational opportunities, addiction treatment, depression, stress, domestic issues, financial management, and legal concerns.
  • Our team and industry experts are here to support and work with you to explore your learning potential and career goals

Where you will be working

You will be joining Resolution Copper at a pivotal moment in the project's history. With the Resolution Copper Land Exchange now complete, the project is advancing its next phase of technical work, community engagement, and state permitting activities.

Resolution Copper has the potential to supply nearly 25% of total U.S. copper demand and generate several thousand direct and indirect jobs in the Pioneer Mining District of Arizona, delivering an economic value of several billion dollars over the life of the mine. The project will rely on block caving, a proven underground mining method that uses gravity to extract ore from a deposit located more than 2,000 meters below the surface. This technique is the most viable way to safely and efficiently recover the resource.

As development continues, Resolution Copper will expand its underground operations, conduct extensive drilling and orebody characterization, and maintain both the permitting process and ongoing public engagement with Native American tribes, local communities, and stakeholders.

The Resolution Copper project is vital to securing America's energy future, infrastructure needs, and national defense by providing a domestic supply of copper and other critical minerals. Once operational, it has the potential to become one of the largest copper mines in the United States, contribute approximately $1 billion annually to Arizona's economy, and create thousands of local jobs in a region with more than a centurylong mining heritage.


About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminium, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.
We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs - striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can't do it on our own, so we're focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win situations and meet opportunities.

Respect and Inclusion

Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity.

Rio Tinto participates in E- Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.