10/19/2026
Very very few American communities have built their identity around coal mining quite like Gillette, Wyoming.
Located in Campbell County, at the heart of the Powder River Basin, Gillette became one of America's great mining boomtowns during the 1970s, when demand for low-sulfur western coal transformed the region.
Massive surface operations, including Black Thunder and North Antelope Rochelle, helped turn northeastern Wyoming into the country's most productive coal-mining district.
For decades, coal provided excellent wages, attracted thousands of workers and supported everything from equipment dealerships to restaurants, schools and construction companies.
And mining still pays remarkably well.
According to Wyoming's Department of Workforce Services, Campbell County's mining sector, including oil and gas, employed an average of 4,790 workers in 2025.
Their average annual wage reached $105,574, compared with $68,997 across all industries in the county.
Mining employment declined by 223 positions from 2024, even as average mining wages increased by 3.4%.
The broader local economy remains relatively healthy.
Campbell County's unemployment rate stood at just 2.7% in August 2026, compared with 4.1% nationally.
But Gillette's relationship with coal is entering a more complicated chapter.
Competition from natural gas and renewable electricity, aging coal-fired power stations and changing utility purchasing decisions have reduced demand for Powder River Basin coal.
Although federal policies are currently more supportive of coal production, long-term market uncertainty remains.
Gillette is consequently exploring opportunities in carbon management, advanced manufacturing, energy technology and other industrial activities.
The challenge is developing industries capable of replacing mining jobs that routinely pay six figures.
That's easier said than done.
Coal built much of modern Gillette, financed generations of families and helped power America for decades.
Whether the city can preserve that prosperity while preparing for a different energy future may become its greatest economic test yet.
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Photo: J. Stephen Conn / Creative Commons (Flickr)
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