Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters (SOC 47-5032) earn a median $61,390 a year ($29.51 an hour) in the United States, with 5,100 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Jersey.
What explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters do
Workers in this group set and detonate explosive charges to bring down structures or to loosen, move or displace earth, rock and other material, and may carry out specialized handling, storage and accounting procedures. Before a shot they examine the blast area to decide how much and what kind of explosive charge is needed and to confirm that safety laws are followed, mark the patterns, locations and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions. Depths of drilled blast holes are measured with weighted tape measures. Explosives such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder or slurries are inserted, packed and poured into the holes, drill cuttings are shoveled in, water is admitted to boreholes and material is tamped to compact the charges. Lengths of delaying fuse are tied into patterns to time the sequence of explosions. Safety cones are placed around the blast area, and workers are signaled to clear the site before detonation. Gun and explosives records are compiled and kept in compliance with local and federal laws.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Aircraft Ordnance Technician, Ammunition and Explosives Handler, Blast Driller, Blast Hole Driller, Blast Setter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.46 | $23.86 | $29.51 | $38.64 | $47.77 | $32.04 | 5,100 |
| Annual | $40,480 | $49,630 | $61,390 | $80,370 | $99,360 | $66,640 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $40.00 | $47.20 | $48.33 | $54.36 | $54.36 | $47.54 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $83,200 | $98,180 | $100,520 | $113,070 | $113,070 | $98,880 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $34.93 | $39.39 | $46.61 | $58.34 | $59.21 | $47.80 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $72,650 | $81,930 | $96,940 | $121,350 | $123,160 | $99,420 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $29.31 | $37.65 | $41.17 | $45.87 | $50.14 | $41.02 | 160 | 0.03 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $60,950 | $78,310 | $85,630 | $95,420 | $104,280 | $85,330 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $28.75 | $33.48 | $40.90 | $42.31 | $42.31 | $39.29 | 60 | 0.21 | 6.27 |
| Annual | $59,790 | $69,640 | $85,070 | $88,000 | $88,000 | $81,720 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $27.92 | $33.06 | $40.58 | $47.07 | $49.39 | $39.93 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $58,070 | $68,760 | $84,400 | $97,910 | $102,730 | $83,060 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.61 | $21.18 | $27.21 | $30.15 | $40.24 | $28.32 | 460 | 0.03 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $36,620 | $44,060 | $56,600 | $62,700 | $83,690 | $58,910 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $11.85 | $12.81 | $24.21 | $29.21 | $36.19 | $24.31 | 380 | 0.19 | 5.83 |
| Annual | $24,640 | $26,630 | $50,360 | $60,760 | $75,270 | $50,570 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $23.32 | $24.27 | $28.42 | $33.16 | $34.86 | $28.69 | 330 | 0.10 | 3.18 |
| Annual | $48,510 | $50,480 | $59,110 | $68,970 | $72,510 | $59,670 | ||||
| Oklahoma | Hourly | $21.30 | $22.15 | $26.53 | $30.95 | $33.31 | $26.94 | 330 | 0.20 | 5.98 |
| Annual | $44,300 | $46,070 | $55,180 | $64,380 | $69,280 | $56,020 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $24.39 | $26.18 | $29.09 | $38.11 | $43.52 | $32.77 | 260 | 0.17 | 5.19 |
| Annual | $50,740 | $54,450 | $60,500 | $79,270 | $90,520 | $68,160 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $40.00 | $44.89 | $48.33 | $54.36 | $59.21 | $49.78 | 120 | 0.01 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $83,200 | $93,370 | $100,520 | $113,080 | $123,160 | $103,540 | ||||
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | Hourly | $38.68 | $38.68 | $47.07 | $47.07 | $47.07 | $43.90 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $80,450 | $80,450 | $97,910 | $97,910 | $97,910 | $91,320 | ||||
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | Hourly | $38.64 | $38.64 | $44.37 | $51.96 | $58.19 | $46.00 | 60 | 0.18 | 5.34 |
| Annual | $80,370 | $80,370 | $92,290 | $108,080 | $121,040 | $95,680 | ||||
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Hourly | $31.25 | $38.20 | $41.78 | $46.53 | $49.13 | $42.16 | 60 | 0.04 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $64,990 | $79,460 | $86,900 | $96,790 | $102,190 | $87,690 | ||||
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | Hourly | $12.81 | $12.81 | $40.26 | $61.52 | $63.90 | $37.91 | 50 | 0.08 | 2.36 |
| Annual | $26,630 | $26,640 | $83,750 | $127,970 | $132,910 | $78,840 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $17.62 | $23.88 | $26.84 | $29.17 | $41.47 | $28.60 | 180 | 0.06 | 1.71 |
| Annual | $36,650 | $49,660 | $55,830 | $60,670 | $86,250 | $59,490 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $40.00 | $44.89 | $48.33 | $54.36 | $59.21 | $49.78 | 120 | 0.01 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $83,200 | $93,370 | $100,520 | $113,080 | $123,160 | $103,540 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $15.39 | $15.39 | $21.72 | $30.54 | $42.86 | $26.13 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $32,000 | $32,000 | $45,180 | $63,510 | $89,140 | $54,350 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $29.51 | $29.51 | $33.75 | $37.11 | $37.11 | $33.80 | 80 | 0.05 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $61,390 | $61,390 | $70,200 | $77,180 | $77,180 | $70,310 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $27.83 | $30.26 | $32.14 | $43.13 | $46.09 | $35.33 | 80 | 0.17 | 5.29 |
| Annual | $57,880 | $62,940 | $66,850 | $89,700 | $95,870 | $73,490 | ||||
Top industries employing explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) employ 22.4% of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters nationally (1,140 jobs) at a median $59,680 a year ($28.69 an hour), followed by Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) (11.4%) and Other Specialty Trade Contractors (8.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 1,140 | 22.4% | $59,680 | $28.69 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) NAICS 4240A2 | 580 | 11.4% | $67,780 | $32.59 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900 | 440 | 8.6% | $79,730 | $38.33 |
| Support Activities for Mining NAICS 213100 | 400 | 7.8% | $57,730 | $27.75 |
| Metal Ore Mining NAICS 212200 | 300 | 5.9% | $61,390 | $29.51 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (5,100). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $53,040 for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters in May 2021 and $61,390 in May 2025, with employment of 5,370 and 5,100.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $53,040 | $25.50 | 5,370 |
| May 2022 | $56,670 | $27.24 | 4,710 |
| May 2023 | $61,590 | $29.61 | 4,610 |
| May 2024 | $59,110 | $28.42 | 5,680 |
| May 2025 | $61,390 | $29.51 | 5,100 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
32 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey profile | $48.33 | $100,520 | $83,200 | $113,070 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | New York profile | $46.61 | $96,940 | $72,650 | $123,160 | ** | ** | ** |
| 3 | North Carolina profile | $41.17 | $85,630 | $60,950 | $104,280 | 160 | 0.03 | 0.96 |
| 4 | Wyoming profile | $40.90 | $85,070 | $59,790 | $88,000 | 60 | 0.21 | 6.27 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania profile | $40.58 | $84,400 | $58,070 | $102,730 | ** | ** | ** |
| 6 | California profile | $38.64 | $80,370 | $34,320 | $125,930 | 220 | 0.01 | 0.37 |
| 7 | New Mexico profile | $37.96 | $78,960 | $37,300 | $87,360 | 80 | 0.10 | 2.97 |
| 8 | Tennessee profile | $35.67 | $74,190 | $37,400 | $122,450 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.65 |
| 9 | Florida profile | $33.55 | $69,780 | $50,120 | $143,260 | 90 | 0.01 | 0.27 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $33.48 | $69,640 | $54,870 | $91,550 | 140 | 0.05 | 1.44 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $32.65 | $67,910 | $47,570 | $99,340 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.96 |
| 12 | Hawaii profile | $31.04 | $64,560 | $58,850 | $96,720 | 110 | 0.17 | 5.12 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $30.79 | $64,040 | $52,040 | $82,140 | 150 | 0.05 | 1.53 |
| 14 | Virginia profile | $30.73 | $63,920 | $51,900 | $80,260 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.58 |
| 15 | Georgia profile | $29.56 | $61,480 | $45,430 | $99,040 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.45 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $29.10 | $60,520 | $52,420 | $93,180 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.56 |
| 17 | Nevada profile | $29.09 | $60,500 | $50,740 | $90,520 | 260 | 0.17 | 5.19 |
| 18 | Idaho profile | $29.02 | $60,360 | $56,110 | $124,090 | ** | ** | ** |
| 19 | Alabama profile | $28.76 | $59,820 | $51,700 | $87,560 | 100 | 0.05 | 1.40 |
| 20 | Maryland profile | $28.71 | $59,720 | $45,810 | $106,890 | ** | ** | ** |
| 21 | Indiana profile | $28.42 | $59,110 | $48,510 | $72,510 | 330 | 0.10 | 3.18 |
| 22 | South Dakota profile | $27.30 | $56,780 | $52,870 | $87,060 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | Texas profile | $27.21 | $56,600 | $36,620 | $83,690 | 460 | 0.03 | 0.99 |
| 24 | Oklahoma profile | $26.53 | $55,180 | $44,300 | $69,280 | 330 | 0.20 | 5.98 |
| 25 | Arkansas profile | $25.54 | $53,120 | $42,080 | $66,270 | 90 | 0.07 | 2.20 |
| 26 | Wisconsin profile | $25.19 | $52,400 | $43,690 | $82,190 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.65 |
| 27 | Kentucky profile | $24.21 | $50,360 | $24,640 | $75,270 | 380 | 0.19 | 5.83 |
| 28 | West Virginia profile | $23.86 | $49,630 | $46,370 | $65,630 | 50 | 0.08 | 2.31 |
| 29 | Mississippi profile | $22.63 | $47,060 | $37,480 | $66,190 | 40 | 0.04 | 1.16 |
| 30 | Ohio profile | $22.42 | $46,630 | $42,700 | $77,320 | 120 | 0.02 | 0.67 |
| 31 | Louisiana profile | $19.18 | $39,900 | $35,030 | $51,680 | 130 | 0.07 | 2.01 |
| 32 | Iowa profile | $19.00 | $39,520 | $37,170 | $55,190 | 90 | 0.06 | 1.78 |
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-5032 Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-5032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-5032.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.