I earn £130k a year with no education – its scary work but it saved my life

A man with “no skills” and “no education” was at his wits’ end before turning his life around and bagging a seven-figure salary.

Cory Rockwell, 38, was “lost” after admittedly lacking direction in his life, and feeling trapped in Los Angeles.

But a traditional office job wasn’t the right fit for the burly dad, and he found himself underground, earning $160k (£130k) a year as a miner.

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He told Insider: “I was lost and had no idea what I wanted to do. At the time, I had no education, no skills, no girlfriend, and no kid.

“I knew if I didn't get out of LA now I'd be stuck here forever.”

The miner and TikTokstar tried and failed to secure work at a local supermarket.

But he was offered a lifeline to work as a miner far away from LA’s glitz and glam.

Mining temp agency, Geotemps, offered Cory a six-month job in Orovada, Nevada – which ended up lasting a year.

After working four years in surface mines, he was determined to make a switch underground.

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Now, Cory works as a miner underground at copper mine Nevada Copper in the town of Yerington.

He loves the grubby work, and said he “strives to be the dirtiest person in the mine”.

Cory added: “Now, I'm an underground miner – and the job saved my life.”

Cory earns a whopping $37 (£30) per hour – with a bonus of up to an extra $30 (£24) an hour.

He said: “The pay is good, too. The most I've made in a year is $160,000, though the annual salary depends on a variety of factors.”

Cory is in charge of detonating explosives to release the copper ore, and making sure the mine is safe before his colleagues return down the pit.

He said: “At Nevada Copper, I'm responsible for dropping explosives into the holes drilled into the ground.

“Underground mining is nothing like an office job.”

And of course, the job comes with its fair share of danger.

He said whether it’s the “boiling water coming out the walls”, falling rubble or fire being the “biggest threat” – life down the mine can be “scary”.

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Adding to Cory’s qualms, he said it’s certainly not easy with gruelling 12-hour shifts, seven days every other week.

He kicks his day off at 6am, where he remains deep in the earth in darkness until his shift ends at 6pm.

The miner explained: “By the time I get home, I'm so mentally, physically, and emotionally worn out that I can easily sleep for 20 hours.”

But despite the arduous graft, danger and long hours, the job has “saved” Cory’s life.

He concluded: “Despite these conditions, I love my job. In fact, I strive to be the dirtiest person in the mine.”

You can find out more about Cory's story on his TikTok, @coryrockwell, here.

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