Occupation salary profile

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

SOC 47-5032 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$61,390
▲ +3.86% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$66,640
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
5,100
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$40,480
25th$49,630
Median (50th)$61,390
75th$80,370
90th — top pay$99,360

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

BLS projects employment of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters to grow 0% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
5,200 → 5,200
+0 jobs
Projected change
+0%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus less than 5 years experience
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.6
  • Operation and Control3.5
  • Operations Monitoring3.5
  • Complex Problem Solving3.4
  • Speaking3.4
  • Time Management3.4
  • Active Learning3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Public Safety and Security4.1
  • Law and Government4.0
  • Mathematics3.7
  • Engineering and Technology3.3
  • Administration and Management3.2
  • Customer and Personal Service3.2
  • Transportation3.2
  • English Language3.1
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADESRI ArcGIS softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordBlaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's CalculatorDatavis DBS DesignerDetNet ViewShotGlobal positioning system GPS software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters do

  • 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.
Also called
Blast Hole DrillerBlasterExplosive TechnicianPowdermanUnexploded Ordnance Quality Control Officer
More job titles for this occupation (80)
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Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.