Since times immemorial, dwarves dominated the mining trade. Time to change that! Digging holes is no longer the monopoly of dwarves!

While they still have a tight grip over the mining industry in Gielinor, it is high time you joined countless other adventurers in this gold rush and became a successful miner yourself.

In this OSRS mining guide, we will cover both free-to-play and pay-to-play options to ensure that no drop of your sweat is for nothing.

Why Level Up Mining?

Mining in OSRS is one of the so-called “Big Three” skills, along with fishing and woodcutting, that have no prerequisites and requires no raw materials. What you need is a sturdy pickaxe and a sturdy back, complete some diaries, and lots of patience.

It is one of the more popular money-making skills and not without a good reason.

However, getting to that money-making level might prove tedious, but the fruit sure is sweet. You will see that when you reach level 85 Mining and finally get your hands on that precious Runite ore.

OSRS Mining For Beginners

Mining is a simple activity that requires only one tool – a pickaxe. Aim your pickaxe at mineable rocks and after a few seconds, your inventory will become heavier with a piece of ore and sometimes even a gem. The higher your Mining level is and the better pickaxe you use, the better ore or gem you can mine.

Tip: Always make sure you have the best pickaxe available.

To use a pickaxe it is enough to have it in your inventory. That takes precious inventory space which in the long run will hurt your experience gains, so you might want to wield it.

There is a catch, though. Wielding a pickaxe requires an appropriate Attack level, corresponding with weapon tier (e.g. to wield a Rune pickaxe you will need to have level 40 Attack).

osrs mining axe

A very useful thing to know is that Mining, like other professions, has a corresponding gear set. The Prospector kit works similar to other sets, however, each piece provides a different percentage boost to your Mining XP, with the full set granting an additional 0.5% bonus, totaling 2.5% extra XP.

It can be purchased in the Motherlode Mine from Prospector Percy‘s Nugget Shop for 180 gold nuggets for a complete set. Gold nuggets are randomly obtained from mining pay-dirt.

It takes time to obtain enough Gold nuggets and the most efficient way to exchange them for pieces of Prospector kit is to buy the expensive pieces first.

mining outfit in old school runescape

There are other pieces of equipment that aid in the mining process as well, such as Varrock armor.

The Varrock armor is awarded for completing achievement diaries. There are four pieces in total. Varrock armor 1 grants a 10% chance of mining 2 ores instead of 1, up to coal, and a 10% chance of smelting 2 bars from 2 ores at the same time up to steel when using Edgeville furnace.

The tiers of ores and bars this chance applies to go up together with the tier of Varrock armor. Varrock armor 4 grants this 10% chance on ANY ores and bars. It also acts as a Prospector jacket meaning you can combine Varrock armor 4 with Prospector kit to become an absolute Mining beast.

osrs mining armor

Last, but not least, we recommend you to not bother with banking cheap ores, especially if a bank is far away and you aim to level up Mining quickly.

Powermining is an activity when players just drop whatever ores they mine and continue mining. This is a way to improve hourly XP rates substantially. If you have already done some mining, you might have seen people doing this.

The same technique is also used when fishing or woodcutting, for example.

OSRS Quests That Reward Mining Experience

Quest	Experience	Other requirements	Level
The Forsaken Tower	500	20% Lovakengj favor	-
Heroes’ Quest	2,575	53 Cooking 53 Fishing 25 Herblore 55 Quest Points	50
Between a Rock…	5,000	30 Defense 50 Smithing	40
Enakhra’s Lament	7,000	50 Crafting 45 Firemaking 39 Magic 43 Prayer	45
Making Friends with My Arm	10,000	68 Agility 50 Construction 66 Firemaking	72
Dragon Slayer 2	18,000	60 Agility 50 Construction 62 Crafting 50 Hitpoints 75 Magic 200 Quest Points 70 Smithing 60 Thieving	68
Song of the Elves	20,000	70 Agility 70 Construction 70 Farming 70 Herblore 70 Hunter 70 Smithing 70 Woodcutting	70

There are more quests in the Pay-to-Play portion of this guide. They are recommended for P2P players because of their low requirements and decent Mining experience.

Quests that Require Mining in Old School RuneScape

Quest	Level
The Knight's Sword	10
In Aid of the Myreque	15
The Lost Tribe	17
Tears of Guthix	20
Darkness of Hallowvale	20
Elemental Workshop I	20
Spirits of the Elid	37
Between a Rock...	40
Family Crest	40
Watchtower	40
Heroes' Quest	50
Legends' Quest	52
Lunar Diplomacy	60
Dragon Slayer II	68
Song of the Elves	70
Making Friends with My Arm	72

OSRS Diaries That Require Mining

Difficulty	Diary	Task	Level
Easy	Desert	Mine five clay in the north-eastern desert.	5
Easy	Falador	Smith some Blurite limbs on Doric's anvil.	10
Easy	Fremennik	Craft a tiara from scratch in Rellekka.	20
Easy	Karamja	Mine some gold from the rocks on the north-west peninsula of Karamja.	40
Easy	Kourend & Kebos	Mine some iron ore at the Mount Karuulm mine.	15
Easy	Lumbridge & Draynor	Mine some iron ore at the Al-Kharid mine.	15
Easy	Varrock	Mine some iron in the southeast mining patch near Varrock.	15
Easy	Western Provinces	Mine some iron ore near Piscatoris.	15
Easy	Wilderness	Mine some iron ore in the Wilderness.	15
Medium	Falador	Mine some gold ore at the Crafting Guild.	40
Medium	Fremennik	Mine some coal in Rellekka.	30
Medium	Fremennik	Mine some gold at the Arzinian Mine.	40
Medium	Kandarin	Mine some coal near the coal trucks.	30
Medium	Karamja	Mine a red topaz from a gem rock (either from Shilo Village or Tai Bwo Wannai Cleanup).	40
Medium	Kourend & Kebos	Mine some volcanic sulfur.	42
Medium	Western Provinces	Mine some gold ore underneath the Grand Tree.	40
Medium	Wilderness	Mine some mithril ore in the Wilderness.	55
Hard	Desert	Mine some granite.	45
Hard	Falador	Enter the Mining Guild wearing full Prospector.	60
Hard	Fremennik	Mine 5 Adamantite ores on Jatizso.	70
Hard	Karamja	Kill a Deathwing in the dungeon under the Kharazi Jungle.	52
Hard	Kourend & Kebos	Mine some Lovakite ore.	65
Hard	Morytania	Mine some mithril ore in the Abandoned Mine.	55
Hard	Western Provinces	Mine some adamantite ore in Tirannwn.	70
Elite	Kourend & Kebos	Craft one or more Blood runes.	38
Elite	Wilderness	Smith a rune scimitar from scratch in the Resource Area.	85

Leveling Mining For F2P Players

F2P players have rather limited options for mining. Therefore, if you are serious about leveling up mining to 99, consider getting a membership. You can get your membership cheaper by buying OSRS gold and purchasing a bond on the Grand Exchange.

Level 1-15 Mining

You will need to start with Copper or Tin ore. The best location to train your OSRS mining skill is in the swamp south of Lumbridge, but you can also choose the mine southeast of Varrock.

Warning: F2P worlds are swarmed with bots that can make your life a little more difficult than it should be.

Level 15-99 Mining

Mining iron ore is the most efficient way to level up Mining in F2P. There is a mine in northern Al Kharid, just south of Varrock border, which is a good spot for mining Iron ore.

The downside of this spot is that it is rather populated with both players and Scorpions. Scorpions are a threat at low combat levels while competing players remain a nuisance at all times.

Level 85-99 Mining

As was mentioned before, at level 85 Mining you unlock the ability to mine Runite ore from Runite rocks.

This method is not recommended in F2P if your aim is to reach level 99 Mining as soon as possible. It may still be an attractive option for those who wish to make gold. If you choose this path, know that Runite rocks spawn every 12 minutes, so they are constantly camped and you will not achieve much without hopping worlds.

The only rocks available for F2P can be found in level 46 Wilderness, north-west of the Lava Maze, and the Mining Guild.

runite rocks location

Leveling Mining For P2P Players

Players who aspire to reach level 99 Mining and are P2P have considerably more choices and freedom in doing so. This portion of the guide will cover P2P Mining training methods and any F2P player still reading will realize just how many options they forfeit by not becoming a member and making their virtual lives easier.

Level 1-37 Mining

The first steps for P2P players are the same as they are for F2P players if you choose to forgo questing. Quests, however, are a good alternative and you get a taste of adventure together with Mining XP.

If you need help questing in OSRS, you can check out our OSRS Optimal Quest Guide to come up with a better questing strategy.

Here's an exclusive tip from our team, you can go from 1 to 37 Mining by simply doing these quests:

Quest	Experience	Other requirements	Level
Doric’s Quest	1,300	-	-
Plague City	2,425	-	-
The Giant Dwarf	2,500	12 Crafting 16 Firemaking 33 Magic 14 Thieving	-
Another Slice of H.A.M.	3,000	15 Attack 25 Prayer	-
The Lost Tribe	3,000	13 Agility 13 Thieving	17
The Dig Site	15,300	10 Agility 25 Herblore 25 Thieving	-

As you can see, these quests have very low or even no requirements. Consider doing them for easy Mining XP and some Quest points as well. After all, OSRS is a role-playing game.

Level 15-75 Mining

Up to level 60 Mining, the dedicated master of mining will want to level up the same way an F2P player does, that is by mining Iron ore. P2P players have more choices in terms of locations which helps in avoiding overpopulated spots.

At level 60 Mining, you unlock access to the Mining Guild where you can find plenty of rocks to mine, rock respawn times are halved, and you receive an invisible +7 level Mining boost. As a cherry on top, there is a Bank chest nearby, so you can bank all the ore you mine instead of dropping it like it‘s hot.

Note that the minimum level 60 Mining to enter the Mining Guild is boostable, so your actual Mining level can be lower.

osrs mining levels

Level 75-99 Mining

The next rock you are going to swing your pickaxe at is Granite. Granite rocks can be mined as early as level 45 Mining. That is not recommended, though, because while the mining process itself is the same as mining Iron rocks, the XP gains are calculated differently.

Instead of receiving pieces of ore, you receive chunks of Granite. The heavier the chunk, the more XP you get.

The sizes go as follows: tiny (500g), small (2kg), medium (5kg). Granite rocks are found in the Desert Quarry south of the Bandit Camp in the Kharidian Desert. There are plenty of Granite rocks for everyone, they respawn quickly enough, so you will be busy mining only 3-4 rocks. Find a comfortable spot for a long mining session.

Reminder: Stay hydrated by bringing Waterskins or employ the magic of Desert amulet 4 to avoid getting killed by the desert heat.

osrs mining level 75 to 99

Alternative Mining Leveling Methods

The following Mining leveling methods are for people who wish to earn OSRS gold while also leveling up Mining or are doing something in the background and prefer AFK leveling methods to the more intense ones listed above.

Level 30-99 Mining

Motherlode Mine opens its door for you at level 30 Mining. It is recommended to enter the Motherlode Mine at level 72+ Mining because you will have access to the upper level of the mine which is closer to the hopper.

You might remember us mentioning this particular name when talking about the Prospector kit. This is the place where you get it.

In the Motherlode Mine, you will be mining pay-dirt then put it all into the hopper and reclaim your actual yield from the sack. The yield depends on your Mining level.

This Mining leveling method is pretty slow and thus AFKable, but also profitable. It is recommended if you need OSRS gold, but if you are a wealthy player, powermining is your way to the top.

You can get to the Motherlode Mine by using a Skills necklace and choose Mining Guild. It‘s a short way from there.

osrs mining cave

mining training in old school runescape

Level 61-99 Mining

Ever seen those shiny rocks that you sometimes find when mining iron, mithril, or whatever other ore rock?

Say “Goodbye” to the RNG – now you can mine these shiny rocks consciously. The Shilo Village mine in Karamja contains Gems rocks. After completing the hard tasks of the Karamja Diary you can swing your pickaxe at these shiny rocks and later trade them for gold.

Gem mining is not the best in terms of experience and is only recommended until you reach level 75 Mining and can access the Blast Mine.

At the maximum level, however, Gem rock mining can be very lucrative. Remember to use the Amulet of glory for faster banking!

blast mine location in osrs

Level 70-99 Mining

Similar to the previous method, Volcanic Mine also has some prerequisites. You must have a minimum of 150 Kudos in Varrock Museum and pay 30 numulites each time you enter the mine.

Unlike other methods, this one can be done in a team for higher XP rates and more profit. Make sure to let fellow miners know you are interested! There are also stubborn “lone wolves” who dare to enter it solo…

The Volcanic Mine is a dangerous place: there is lava, there are rocks falling on top of your head and also there are monsters that are persistent at trying to provide you with a quick teleport to Lumbridge.

Oh, and the mine itself is prone to collapsing.

Despite these obvious disadvantages, the Volcanic Mine is still an attractive choice because you mine a huge rock floating in lava for ore fragments, rather than ores themselves. These fragments are stackable, meaning that you can continue on mining as long as you can survive the many dangers of the mine.

Last, but not least, it can be hella fun!

osrs gold mining

Level 75-99 Mining

Blast Mine is another fun minigame that allows you to blast the ores out of the unyielding earth, instead of patiently carving out the precious ore with your pickaxe. To enter the minigame you need 100% Lovakengj favor.

The minigame is special in the regard that it allows you to mine or rather blast the expensive Runite ore at a much lower Mining level than usual (75 instead of 85).

The blasting process requires dynamite (duh), a chisel, and a tinderbox. To improve your XP and gold making rates bring stamina potions and weight-reducing OSRS items. There is a bank chest in the vicinity, so some of the dynamite you are going to use for blasting can be noted. You can simply unnote however much you need when you need it.

A useful trick when collecting the ores from the operator is to equip the Prospector kit, because XP is calculated when collecting ores.

osrs blast mines

OSRS Money Making With Your Mining Skill

The following methods are recommended only for those who aim to make OSRS gold. They do not provide sky-high Mining XP rates.

Level 67+ Mining

As with any other mining activity, mining Volcanic ash requires a pickaxe. You also need to have completed the Bone Voyage quest (to unlock the ability to travel to Fossil Island). The special thing about mining Volcanic ash is that you mine more pieces of ash at higher Mining levels.

At the recommended 67 level Mining you will be collecting 4 pieces of ash from a single ash pile. The amount of Volcanic ash mined increased to 5 at level 82 Mining and to 6 at level 97 Mining. Volcanic ash is used to make Supercompost and Ultracompost which are used in Farming.

Making Ultracompost is a profitable AFK money-making method, so consider storing Volcanic ash and then using it to make Ultracompost. If the prices are right, that is.

alternative mining level tips

Level 72+ Mining

Venturing to mine Basalt and especially Salt might sound like a punishment rather than an opportunity to make money. And it would be in real life. Good thing we are discussing Gielinor. To be able to mine Basalt and Salt you need to complete the Making Friends with My Arm Quest.

After that, you can mine these rocks in the Salt Mine beneath Weiss. Salts come in three colors: blue, red, and green. Basalt is black. Since Basalt fetches a better price on the GE than Salt, make sure to prioritize it.

Unlike regular ores, Salt is stackable. Basalt, on the other hand, is not, but can be conveniently noted by Snowflake just outside the mine.

osrs map for salt mines

Final Thoughts About Mining in OSRS

We thank you for staying with us on this lengthy post! We hope that this OSRS Mining Guide will help you to get to that level 99 Mining fast and earn that magnificent Mining skill cape!

osrs mining skillcape

If, by chance, you acquired more gold than you know what to do with it, sell OSRS gold for real money and get yourself something nice.

Do you need help with your RuneScape journey? Join our Discord server today and take advantage of our affordable RuneScape services such as bossing, minigames, questing, and fire capes. We also do exclusive members-only giveaways.

Related RuneScape Guides:

Last Updated: 01/14/2021

OSRS Mining Training Guide From Level 1 To 99