Mining was the business of mineral and metal excavation and extraction. Many planets, such as Peragus II, Ord Cestus, or Bespin, were constantly mined. The Expansion Region got its name as the planets there were constantly mined when first discovered. Mining was an important source of credits.

Some mining was conducted using hand-held lasers.

On Kessel, mining for spice took place at the dangerous spice mines of Kessel. The planet Lothal was also subject to heavy mining following the creation of the Galactic Empire.

On Cynda, the moon of Gorse, thorilide was mined from crystalline caverns with baradium bisulfate.

The Galactic Empire destroyed many of the natural resources of Lothal, replacing them with mines and machines.

By 3 ABY, Lando Calrissian gained control of the tibanna-gas mining colony Cloud City on the planet Bespin.

Individuals who mined asteroids was called an asteroid miner. The job was apparently painful, as miners often used pain dampers during the job. The Death Star was built from materials mined from the asteroids of Geonosis‘s rings. Station Theta Black was built into an asteroid that had been mined out completely for dedlanite.