Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
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.
Also called: Blast Hole Driller · Blaster · Explosive Technician · Powderman · Unexploded Ordnance Quality Control Officer
Median pay (national)
$59,110
$45,160–$104,210 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
5,680
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-0.9%
~500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $104,210 versus $45,160 at the bottom 10% — 2.3x. The median of $59,110 leaves roughly 76% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -0.9% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 35 states with released data, New York pays the most for this role (median $104,320, +76% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $28,870 — a 261% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
- Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
- Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
- Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
- Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
- Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
- Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
- Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
- 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.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator
- Datavis DBS Designer
- DetNet ViewShot
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Transportation
- English Language