Careers / Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$61,390
United States, 2025
Employment
5,100
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials. May perform specialized handling, storage, and accounting procedures.
- O*NET code
- 47-5032.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
- Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
- Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signal workers as necessary to ensure that they clear blast sites prior to explosions.
- Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
- Insert, pack, and pour explosives, such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder, or slurries into blast holes; then shovel drill cuttings, admit water into boreholes, and tamp material to compact charges.
- Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
- Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
- Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$40,480
25th percentile
$49,630
75th percentile
$80,370
90th percentile
$99,360
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.9
- Monitoring3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Operation and Control3.5
- Speaking3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Time Management3.4
- Active Learning3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Coordination3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 15 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
15
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.8 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.4 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.5 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $60,850
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $61,770
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $46,960
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $49,030
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $65,510
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $58,160
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $47,920
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $49,450
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $62,640
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersSupplemental
National median $65,380
Compare with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and BlastersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | $100,520 | — | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $100,520 | 120 | 2025 |
| Allentown, PA | $97,910 | — | 2025 |
| NY | $96,940 | — | 2025 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $92,290 | 60 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $86,900 | 60 | 2025 |
| NC | $85,630 | 160 | 2025 |
| WY | $85,070 | 60 | 2025 |
| PA | $84,400 | — | 2025 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | $83,750 | 50 | 2025 |
| CA | $80,370 | 220 | 2025 |
| NM | $78,960 | 80 | 2025 |
| TN | $74,190 | 70 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $70,200 | 80 | 2025 |
| FL | $69,780 | 90 | 2025 |
| CO | $69,640 | 140 | 2025 |
| UT | $67,910 | 50 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $66,850 | 80 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $64,880 | 50 | 2025 |
| HI | $64,560 | 110 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.