Construction and Extraction

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

11/100
#678 of 825
$61,390
median pay, U.S.
5,100
employed (2024)
-0.9%
growth, 2024–34
500
openings per year
High school diploma or equivalent
typical entry education

Is explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters a good career?

It scores 11/100 and ranks #678 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.

Advantages

  • Pays above the U.S. median wage ($61,390)
  • No college degree typically required to enter

Possible tradeoffs

  • Employment is projected to decline (-0.9% through 2034)
  • Often needs prior experience (less than 5 years)

What explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn

Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025

Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn between $49,630 and $80,370 a year.

Best-paying states

New Jersey statewide
$100,520
New York statewide
$96,940
North Carolina statewide
$85,630
Wyoming statewide
$85,070
Pennsylvania statewide
$84,400
California statewide
$80,370
New Mexico statewide
$78,960
Tennessee statewide
$74,190
Florida statewide
$69,780
Colorado statewide
$69,640
$20k $90k $160k

Best-paying metros

01 New York, NY $100,520
02 Allentown, PA $97,910
03 Bakersfield, CA $92,290
04 Charlotte, NC $86,900
06 Denver, CO $70,200
07 Urban Honolulu, HI $66,850
08 Salt Lake City, UT $64,880

Strongest employment concentration

01 Texas 460
02 Kentucky 380
03 Indiana 330
04 Oklahoma 330
05 Nevada 260
06 California 220

Live explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters jobs

No live explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters openings will appear here — each shown against the $61,390 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.

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How to become an explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training

Related occupations

No formal educational credential · $46,960 median
No formal educational credential · $58,160 median
High school diploma or equivalent · $57,430 median
Questions about becoming a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make?

The national median wage is $61,390 a year, with the middle half earning between $49,630 and $80,370 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters a good career?

On the Jobs.best index it scores 11 of 100 and ranks #678 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change -0.9% through 2034.

What education do you need to become a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster?

The typical entry-level education is high school diploma or equivalent, usually with less than 5 years.

Where do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn the most?

Among states, New Jersey pays the highest median ($100,520). Local pay for every state and metro is below.

U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWages: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Projections: BLS EP 2024–34
Sources: OEWS-M2025 · EP-2024-34. How we score careers →