BACKGROUND Few studies have focused on the management of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) as a complication of pneumoconiosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and therapeutic course of SSP associated with silicosis. METHODS Between April 2005 and March 2015, 17 patients with silicosis underwent chest tube drainage for SSP in our institution. We retrospectively analyzed patient characteristics, type of treatment, clinical course, rate of recurrence, and survival time, and compared them with those of 30 patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the same period. RESULTS Fourteen patients with silicosis had performance status score ≥ 2 and modified Medical Research Council Grade ≥ 2; these were significantly different from those in patients with COPD (P = 0.047, P = 0.026). Patients with silicosis had a significantly longer duration of chest tube placement and hospital stay. Recurrent pneumothorax occurred in 47.1% of patients with silicosis, which was not significantly different from the proportion of patients with COPD (40.9%, P = 0.843). However, in the silicosis group, patients treated with chest tube drainage alone tended to have a higher rate of ipsilateral recurrence than those who had pleurodesis, although this was not statistically significant. The median overall survival time of patients with silicosis was 82.6 months, while that of patients with COPD was 104.1 months. CONCLUSIONS Patients with silicosis had worse physical status and respiratory functions at the time of occurrence of pneumothorax than those with COPD. Pleurodesis could be an effective treatment for SSP complicating silicosis.