Welcome, capsuleer. If you’re just starting out in EVE Online and looking for a relaxed, steady activity to ease into the game, mining might seem like the perfect choice. It’s chill, it’s foundational, and it can—eventually—support your Omega subscription. But while the idea of mining your way to financial independence in New Eden is romantic, it’s also a grindy and sometimes daunting path.
This guide takes you through the realistic progression of mining, from your humble beginnings as an Alpha pilot in a Venture to commanding a multiboxed fleet with Orcas and Exhumers. We’ll walk through the options available in highsec, lowsec, and wormhole space, and look at what kind of income you can expect at each stage. Importantly, this is a solo-focused progression without relying on boosts—so you can chart your journey independently or decide when to team up.
Why Mining?
Mining isn’t the highest ISK/hour activity in EVE, especially as an Alpha, but it’s arguably the most laid-back. It also integrates naturally into industrial careers. If you’re looking for relaxed gameplay that can scale into serious profits with time and effort, mining remains a viable and rewarding option. That said, mining for the sole purpose of paying for Omega can lead to a burnout loop—mining to stay subbed so you can mine more to stay subbed. Consider investing a little in Omega if you’re committed long-term.
Mining as an Alpha: What You’re Up Against
Let’s start at the very beginning: the Alpha Venture. With a half-decent fit, T2 lasers, and some basic skills, you can start mining highsec ores like Veldspar, Scordite, Plagioclase, and Pyroxeres. Even in the best-case scenario, you’re looking at around 11 million ISK/hour—requiring over 270 hours just to scrape together enough ISK for one Omega subscription. Ouch.
This isn’t to say it’s hopeless. Highsec moon rocks, if your corporation has access to them, offer better returns thanks to their mix of minerals and reaction materials. These moons are also typically home to larger asteroids and are often supported by corp fleets providing boosts and compression. At the time of writing, moon rock prices are slightly down post-Equinox expansion, but they’re trending back up.
Branching Out: Lowsec and Wormhole Mining
Venturing beyond highsec opens new doors—and new dangers. Lowsec mining often means ore anomalies instead of belts, with rocks like Jaspet, Hemorphite, Hedbergite, and Gneiss scattered around. These yield better minerals, but you’ll be dodging PvPers and may have to haul uncompressed ore back to highsec. A fit Venture can still get decent ISK/hour here, but you’ll need nerves of steel.
Wormhole mining follows a similar logic: better ore, higher danger. Average Frontier Deposits can yield 450,000 units, but after 20 minutes, Sleepers will spawn. A decent cruiser can handle them if you’re prepared—or you can mine ninja-style and warp out when they appear. There’s also the bonus of salvageable loot from Sleepers.
The Gas Game: Alpha’s Secret Weapon
For Alpha clones, gas harvesting is the dark horse of mining ISK/hour. It requires a 40 million ISK skillbook and some scanning skills, but it can be significantly more lucrative than rock mining. Sites in lowsec and wormholes contain valuable gas clouds, and while you’ll still be at risk from hostiles, the returns often justify the danger.
With proper fittings, a Venture can pull in solid income by huffing gas in both lowsec and wormholes. In wormholes, you’ll again want to keep an eye out for Sleepers after 20 minutes. You can either clear them or jet out before things go south.
Omega Status: A New Frontier
Once you go Omega, the floodgates open. Suddenly, you’re no longer restricted in skills or ship choices. Your Venture becomes faster, your drones more lethal, and your modules more efficient. But more importantly, you can graduate to mining barges and exhumers.
Let’s look at a basic progression path:
- Alpha Venture: Modest mining rate.
- Omega Venture: Slightly improved with full skills.
- Retriever (Tech 1 Barge): Huge ore hold and solid tank.
- Mackinaw (Tech 2 Exhumer): Even larger ore hold and higher yield.
The Retriever is your first big step. It’s tanky, holds more ore, and lets you stay on-grid longer. The Mackinaw refines this with even more mining power. These ships allow you to scale your operations, especially when paired with compression and boosting setups later on.
Moon Mining and Ice Mining as Omega
Omega clones can also tap into ice mining. Highsec ice isn’t overly profitable and tends to attract gankers, but it’s relatively low-maintenance. The Prospect, Endurance (T2 ice Venture), Retriever, and Mackinaw all have roles here. Ice types like Glare Crust appear only in lowsec and require ninja-mining tactics.
For the bold, the Prospect offers cloaky mining with an improved ore hold. It’s nimble, covert, and a favorite for lowsec ninja miners and gas huffers alike. In fact, aside from module upgrades, the Prospect has similar gas harvesting output to the Venture, with better survivability and stealth.
Multiboxing: Going Big
Want to take mining seriously? Welcome to multiboxing. Two characters can field two Mackinaws—or a Mackinaw and an Orca. The Orca alone mines only slightly less than a solo Mackinaw but makes up for it by boosting the other ship’s yield up to 46.12%. It also provides compression and storage, meaning less downtime warping back and forth.
This setup (Orca + Mackinaw) is already 2.37x more efficient than a single solo miner. Add a third character and you get one Orca and two boosted Mackinaws, pushing your yield to 3.82x. At that point, you’re running a full-scale solo mining operation. It’s a long training path, especially for the Orca, but the payoff is serious ISK.
For gas harvesting, the strategy changes. Boosting doesn’t apply, so you’re better off fielding multiple Prospect ships. For lowsec and wormhole mining, multiple Prospect setups are safer and more flexible than risking expensive haulers or command ships.
Beyond Mining: Where This Journey Leads
Mining is only the beginning. Many industrialists start here, then branch out into trading, hauling, production, or even PvP. With three trained characters, you can specialize: one as a hauler or station trader, one for PvE or abyssal sites, and one for mining. This not only broadens your income streams but also keeps the game fresh.
Advanced content like Homefront sites or triple-boxed Abyss runs can yield 300+ million ISK/hour. The skills and infrastructure built through mining create a foundation for these high-level activities.
Final Thoughts
So, can mining sustain your Omega subscription? Yes—but it’s a journey. It takes upfront investment, patient skill training, and sometimes multiboxing. If you’re just starting out, take things step by step. Start with a Venture. Learn to survive in highsec. Experiment with gas harvesting. When you go Omega, move into barges, ice, and moon mining. When you’re ready, scale up with Orcas and additional characters.
And most importantly, don’t forget that EVE is a sandbox. If mining starts to burn you out, pivot. Use those characters for something new. The skills you gain here open doors throughout New Eden.
My Gaming Tutorials 
Leave a comment