Henderson Mine Jobs in Clear Creek County: Roles and Pay

Henderson mine jobs in Clear Creek County are with Climax Molybdenum Company, a Freeport-McMoRan subsidiary that runs the underground molybdenum mine near Empire and its mill near Parshall. On 26 October 2026 the company’s careers site listed 39 openings at the two sites: 15 at the mine (Empire) and 24 at the mill (Parshall). Hourly roles in that list paid from US$18.00 to US$45.50 an hour, and staff who must work on site can claim a US$1,450 monthly housing allowance (Freeport-McMoRan job posting).

This page is for people weighing a job there, and for anyone who wants to understand the mine behind the jobs. It covers who hires, which roles are open, what they pay, how many people work in the county’s mining sector, how to apply, and why hiring at Henderson moves with the price of molybdenum (a metal added to steel to make it harder and more heat-resistant). Every figure is dated and linked to the document it came from. For a deeper look at the headcount question alone, see our guide to Henderson mine employee numbers and how to check them.

Who hires for Henderson mine jobs in Clear Creek County

The Henderson mine is wholly owned by Freeport-McMoRan, and the permit holder is Climax Molybdenum Company (Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety inspection report, September 2025). It has operated since 1976. Freeport describes it as a block-cave underground mine, 42 miles west of Denver, with Empire, Georgetown and Idaho Springs as the nearby towns (Freeport-McMoRan annual report, filed 2026). Block caving is a method where ore is undercut so that it breaks under its own weight and drops to collection points called draw points, where loaders pick it up.

The operation is split in two. The mine and its portal are on the Clear Creek County side of the Continental Divide. The concentrator (the mill, where the ore is crushed and the molybdenum mineral is separated) is 15 miles west, near Parshall in Grand County. Freeport says the two sites are an hour’s drive apart, joined by a 15-mile conveyor system, 10 miles of it underground in a tunnel beneath the Divide. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) lists the operation under one mine ID, 0500790, as an underground molybdenum mine controlled by Freeport-McMoRan and located at Parshall (MSHA, Henderson Operations).

This matters for anyone searching “Clear Creek County” jobs. Only the mine-side roles are physically in Clear Creek County. Mill roles, which are more than half the current listings, are in Grand County. Freeport also runs the Climax mine near Leadville, so a search for “Empire” or “Henderson” on its careers site can also return Climax postings. The Climax roles are not Henderson jobs.

Which Henderson mine jobs are listed, by type

We searched the Freeport-McMoRan careers site for Empire, CO on 26 October 2026 and read every posting at Empire (the mine) and Parshall (the mill). That gave 39 openings. The chart groups them by kind of work. The list changes as roles are filled, so treat it as a snapshot of the mix, not a permanent count.

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Henderson mine and mill openings by type of work

Number of postings at Empire and Parshall, 26 October 2026 (39 in all)

Maintenance trades are the largest group: diagnostic mechanics, industrial and diagnostic electricians, an instrumentation and control electrician, repair employees and a maintenance helper. Operators come next: underground production operators at the mine, and mill operator and tailings dam operator roles at the mill. Tailings are the finely ground waste left after the molybdenum mineral is removed; they are stored behind a dam. The rest are supply chain staff (warehouse technicians), planners and a reliability engineer, laboratory, water, hygiene and infrastructure technicians, and three supervisors.

Source: Freeport-McMoRan careers site, search for Empire, CO, read 26 October 2026 (jobs.fcx.com). Entry routes exist. The Mill Operator Trainee postings ask for three months of work experience (one lists US$22.00 to US$29.50 an hour, another US$26.00 to US$33.00), and the Underground Mine Production Operator I posting asks for six months in related heavy industry such as mining, civil construction or oil and gas, with experience on equipment like front-end loaders or excavators (Mill Operator Trainee posting).

How much Henderson mine jobs pay

Freeport publishes an estimated base pay range on each posting. The ranges below are the hourly roles we read on 26 October 2026. They show base pay only: the postings say the range excludes bonus payments, benefits and retirement contributions, and that actual pay depends on experience, qualifications and skills. Roles paid by salary were higher: for example the Planner I postings listed US$65,000 to US$90,000 a year and the Senior Reliability Engineer listed US$97,500 to US$138,000.

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Posted hourly base pay range by role

US$ per hour, estimated range in each posting, 26 October 2026

The lowest hourly range in the listings was the Warehouse Technician I at US$18.00 to US$24.00. Trades and diagnostic roles sat highest, with the diagnostic electrician postings at US$33.00 to US$45.50 an hour. The underground operator ranges rose with grade: US$24.00 to US$32.00 for Operator I, and US$28.50 to US$38.50 for Operator II.

Postings also list the same package: medical, dental and vision cover, company-paid life and disability insurance, a 401(k) with an employer contribution or match, paid time off, holiday pay, parental leave, tuition assistance, and the US$1,450 monthly housing allowance for employees who are required to work on site and meet the program guidelines. Many roles run in a 24/7, 365-day operation, so shift work other than day shift is possible.

How this compares with the county

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes county wages by industry group. In Clear Creek County, private “natural resources and mining” jobs averaged US$2,338 a week in the fourth quarter of 2025. All jobs in the county averaged US$1,289 a week in the same quarter (BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Clear Creek County, fourth quarter 2025). Multiplied by 52 weeks, the first figure is about US$121,600 a year. That group bundles mining with agriculture and forestry, and the average includes overtime, bonuses and the higher-paid engineers and supervisors, so it is not the pay for an entry-level role.

The calculator below turns a posted hourly rate into a yearly figure, with overtime and the housing allowance, and compares the weekly pay with the county average. Change the numbers to match the posting you are looking at.

How many people work at the Henderson mine

No public source gives a current, mine-only headcount. BLS withholds the mining-only line for Clear Creek County because one employer dominates it: for the fourth quarter of 2025 the file shows 7 establishments in mining and quarrying but no employment figure (BLS file, fourth quarter 2025). The tightest published bound is the wider “natural resources and mining” group, which had 551, 556 and 563 private jobs in October, November and December 2025 across 8 establishments. In October 2025 that was about 17% of the 3,211 jobs of all kinds counted in the county.

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Clear Creek County private natural resources and mining jobs

Employment in the first month of each quarter, 8 quarters

Two cautions. The group includes agriculture and forestry, and BLS does not say which site an employer’s workers are reported under. Grand County, where the mill sits, shows only 47 natural resources and mining jobs in all in October 2025 (BLS QCEW, Grand County, fourth quarter 2025), too few to hold a whole mill workforce, so some or most mill workers may be inside the Clear Creek figure. The county figure is therefore not a clean mine-only number. For comparison, a September 2016 report in Colorado Biz put the mine’s workforce at 230 and said about 40 percent of Clear Creek County’s general-fund revenue came from property taxes assessed on Henderson (Colorado Biz, 23 September 2016). That is ten years old and the report did not name its source for the headcount. Our Climax mine jobs page applies the same method to Freeport’s other Colorado mine.

How to apply for a Henderson mine job

Applications go through the Freeport-McMoRan careers site, which says it accepts applications on an ongoing basis for many Henderson roles. Some postings carry a closing date, for example the Senior Reliability Engineer posting asked for applications by 19 November 2026. The steps below follow what the postings and the careers site state.

Infographic

Applying in 5 steps

1. 1Search the careers siteSearch jobs.fcx.com for Empire, CO and read the Empire and Parshall postings.
2. 2Match the experience lineCompare your hours and certificates with the posting’s minimum, such as 3 or 6 months.
3. 3Apply onlineMany postings accept applications on an ongoing basis; some carry a closing date.
4. 4Pass the checksExpect a written assessment where required and pre-employment drug testing.
5. 5Complete safety trainingNew underground miners need at least 40 hours of training before assigned duties.

What the postings ask for

Entry and mid-level roles ask for a set of practical skills and a record of safe work. Several points repeat across postings:

• Work experience that matches the role: three months for the mill trainee, six months of heavy-industry experience for the underground operator, and four years of industrial electrical or instrumentation work (or a certificate or associate’s degree plus two years) for the diagnostic electrician.
• A written assessment where required, covering skills and safety, and the ability to read and follow English work and safety instructions.
• Mandatory pre-employment drug testing, with continued drug and alcohol testing, as stated in each posting.
• For roles that handle explosives, such as underground production operators, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen or national and pass a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives clearance screen after hire.
• Willingness to work shifts in a 24/7 operation.

Safety training for underground work

Federal rules require each new underground miner to receive at least 40 hours of training before being assigned work duties, with about 8 hours at the mine site (30 CFR 48.5, Cornell Legal Information Institute). Ask the recruiter how and when this is delivered for your role; the postings do not say.

Living near the mine

The main access shaft is at 3,180 metres (about 10,430 feet) above sea level, the main production levels are at 2,200 and 2,350 metres, and the area gets heavy snow in winter (Freeport-McMoRan annual report, filed 2026). The postings say both sites are surrounded by Arapaho National Forest land. The postings add a monthly housing allowance for staff required to work on site; check the program guidelines with the recruiter before you rely on it.

Why Henderson mine jobs follow the molybdenum price

Henderson is built to make about 15 million pounds of molybdenum a year, and the mill is designed for roughly 32,000 metric tons of ore a day. It made 13 million pounds in 2025, 12 million in 2024 and 13 million in 2023 (Freeport-McMoRan annual report, filed 2026). The earlier annual reports show a much larger swing: 30 million pounds in 2014, 25 million in 2015 and 10 million in 2016 (Freeport-McMoRan annual report for 2016). In its report for 2015, Freeport said the revised plan for Henderson cut operating rates by about 65 percent, in the filing’s words, part of a company-wide plan to cut costs as market conditions weakened (Freeport-McMoRan annual report for 2015). That swing shows how much a single mine’s output can move with the market, and the 2016 Colorado Biz report cited above shows how closely the county’s budget was tied to the mine.

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Henderson molybdenum production by year

Million pounds of molybdenum, 2014 to 2025

The company’s 2026 numbers show the other side of the equation. In the second quarter of 2026 its Colorado molybdenum mines (Henderson and Climax together) produced 8 million pounds, against 9 million a year earlier. Unit net cash cost at those mines was US$19.20 a pound, up from US$14.20, which Freeport put down to lower volumes and higher costs for supplies, energy and labor. The company’s average realized molybdenum price was US$28.75 a pound in the quarter, against US$21.10 a year earlier (Freeport-McMoRan second-quarter 2026 results).

How long the ore lasts is a question for the reserve table. At 31 December 2025 Freeport reported about 40 million metric tons of proven and probable molybdenum reserves at Henderson, averaging 0.16 percent molybdenum. That is a company estimate at its own price assumptions, not a mine plan or a guarantee of employment. For the national picture, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates U.S. molybdenum mine output at 40,000 tons of contained molybdenum in 2025, up from 34,000 in 2024, from two primary mines in Colorado and seven byproduct operations (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026). Our own molybdenum price page tracks the price side with a chart.

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Permit, inspections and the reclamation bond

Every Colorado hard-rock mine works under a state permit. Henderson’s is M-1977-342, with Climax Molybdenum Company as operator. The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety inspected the site on 18 August 2025. Its report, signed on 17 September 2025, noted no problems or possible violations and found the operation in full compliance with the Mined Land Reclamation Board rules. The bond held for reclamation, the money set aside so the land can be restored if the operator cannot do it, was US$271,566,513 (Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety inspection report). The same report lists the inspected topics, including hydrologic balance and processing waste. A current inspection report is a fair thing to read before taking a job or buying property nearby.

Freeport’s annual report puts the operation’s land at about 17,200 acres: 13,000 acres of fee land, 4,200 acres of unpatented mining claims on public mineral estate, and a 50-acre easement with the U.S. Forest Service for the surface part of the conveyor corridor.

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Other mining jobs near Clear Creek County

Freeport’s other Colorado mine, Climax, is an open-pit molybdenum mine 13 miles northeast of Leadville, and it hires through the same careers site. Our Climax mine jobs page covers it. If you are interested in Colorado’s gold and silver districts, the Colorado gold districts page ranks them by recorded output. Clear Creek County has a long hard-rock history, but the large employer in the county’s mining sector today is Henderson.

Seeing the site from space

Satellite images show how a site sits in its landscape: the pit or portal area, roads, tailings and the bare ground around them. Consultants and licence owners use them to screen ground before spending on fieldwork. Farmonaut’s satellite-based mineral detection service builds exploration targets from Sentinel-2 and other public satellite data for a polygon you supply; it does not replace a drill programme or a resource estimate. The image at the top of this page is a Sentinel-2 summer view of the Henderson area. To discuss a site of your own, use the mining query form.

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Frequently asked questions

Who owns the Henderson mine in Clear Creek County?

Freeport-McMoRan owns it outright. The permit holder is its subsidiary Climax Molybdenum Company, and MSHA lists Freeport-McMoRan as the controller (Freeport-McMoRan annual report filed 2026; Colorado inspection report, September 2025; MSHA).

Is the Henderson mine hiring?

On 26 October 2026 the Freeport-McMoRan careers site listed 39 openings at Empire and Parshall, and many postings say applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Check the careers site for the live list, because roles are filled and added.

What does a Henderson mine job pay?

Posted hourly ranges on 26 October 2026 ran from US$18.00 to US$24.00 for a Warehouse Technician I up to US$33.00 to US$45.50 for diagnostic electricians. Salaried planners and engineers were listed between US$65,000 and US$138,000 a year. These are base ranges and exclude bonuses and benefits.

How many people work at the Henderson mine?

No public source gives a current mine-only number. BLS reported 551 to 563 private natural resources and mining jobs in Clear Creek County in the fourth quarter of 2025, a group wider than the mine that may also include mill workers: Grand County, where the mill sits, reports only 47 such jobs in all.

Where is the Henderson mine?

The mine is in Clear Creek County, about 42 miles west of Denver and about 9 miles west of Empire, close to the Continental Divide. The mill is 15 miles west of the mine, near Parshall in Grand County.

What do you need to get an underground mining job at Henderson?

The Underground Mine Production Operator I posting asks for six months of related heavy-industry experience with equipment such as loaders or excavators, a written assessment where required, a pre-employment drug test, and, because the role handles explosives, U.S. citizenship or national status and a federal clearance screen after hire.

Does the Henderson mine offer housing?

The postings offer a US$1,450 monthly housing allowance to employees who are required to work on site and meet the program guidelines. They do not describe company-owned housing.

What does the Henderson mine produce?

Molybdenum, a metal used mainly to alloy steel and cast iron. The ore is a porphyry molybdenum deposit with molybdenite as the main sulfide mineral. Production was 13 million pounds in 2025 (Freeport-McMoRan annual report filed 2026).

Why did the Henderson mine cut jobs in the past?

Freeport cut operating rates at Henderson by about 65 percent in its 2015 plan after molybdenum prices fell, and Henderson’s output dropped from 30 million pounds in 2014 to 10 million in 2016 (Freeport-McMoRan annual reports for 2015 and 2016).

Is the Henderson mine in compliance with its permit?

The Colorado inspection of 18 August 2025 found the operation in full compliance with the state’s mining rules and noted no problems or possible violations. Inspection reports are public on the state’s document portal.