47 Series · SOC 47-5032
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $61,390
- Median / year
- +3.9%
- 2024→2025
- $99,360
- Top 10% earn
- -0.9%
- Growth '24–'34
- 5,100
- Estimated US jobs
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters earn a median of $61,390 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $61,390, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $40,480 (10th percentile) to $99,360 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 5,100 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is New Jersey ($100,520).
The pay verdict
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters earn a median of $61,390, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 50% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Construction and Extraction, it ranks #19 of 60 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 0.9% by 2034.
- $61,390
- Median annual wage
- Top 50%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #19 of 60
- in Construction and Extraction
- 2.5×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New Jersey at $100,520. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters (SOC 47-5032) has a national median of $61,390 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $40,480 to $99,360, and the published mean is $66,640. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 5,100 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 32 state or territory areas and 22 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $59,110 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $61,390 in May 2025, a rise of $2,280 (+3.9%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -0.9% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 500 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry and less than 5 years as the typical related-work-experience category, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as long-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Construction and Extraction Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New Jersey pays the highest state median at $100,520, which is +64% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $100,520. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$61,390
per year
Median Hourly
$29.51/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$66,640
average
Employment
5,100
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$61,390 Top 50% higher than 50% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$61,390 · 50th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 47-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Construction Laborers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.3%, Median annual wage $47120
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.3%, Median annual wage $79920
- Electricians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 9.5%, Median annual wage $63190
- Carpenters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $60580
- Operating Engineers …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.6%, Median annual wage $59850
- Plumbers, Pipefitter…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $63800
- Painters, Constructi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $49400
- Cement Masons and Co…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $57020
- Highway Maintenance …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3%, Median annual wage $50260
- Construction and Bui…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.8%, Median annual wage $74690
- Roofers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.9%, Median annual wage $55440
- Sheet Metal Workers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.4%, Median annual wage $61800
- Drywall and Ceiling …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.2%, Median annual wage $58930
- Structural Iron and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $62780
- Helpers--Electricians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.2%, Median annual wage $42670
- Glaziers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.3%, Median annual wage $57080
- Brickmasons and Bloc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $62120
- Hazardous Materials …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1%, Median annual wage $49450
- Roustabouts, Oil and…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.5%, Median annual wage $46960
- Insulation Workers, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $49120
- Helpers--Pipelayers,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $42360
- Service Unit Operato…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.4%, Median annual wage $58160
- Paving, Surfacing, a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $53340
- Tile and Stone Setters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 10.1%, Median annual wage $55690
- Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.9%, Median annual wage $61390
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-0.9%
Declining
Annual Openings
500
per year (projected)
Employment Change
-100
5,800 (2024) → 5,800 (2034)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-Job Training
Long-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Construction and Extraction Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
12.4/100K
Injury Rate
3.5/100
Danger Index
20.2/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
- ▸ Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay history, 2021–2025
Published national median across 5 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $53,040 |
| 2022 | $56,670 |
| 2023 | $61,590 |
| 2024 | $59,110 |
| 2025 | $61,390 |
2021 median
$53,040
2025 median
$61,390
2021–2025 change
+$8,350 (+15.7%)
Avg/year
+3.7%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $53,040 | First banked release | 5,370 |
| May 2022 | $56,670 | +6.8% | 4,710 |
| May 2023 | $61,590 | +8.7% | 4,610 |
| May 2024 | $59,110 | -4.0% | 5,680 |
| May 2025 | $61,390 | +3.9% | 5,100 |
Across the 5 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $53,040 in May 2021 to $61,390 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2021–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.7% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 5,370 in May 2021 to 5,100 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 32 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $100,520 | +64% above national |
| 2 | New York | $96,940 | +58% above national |
| 3 | North Carolina | $85,630 | +39% above national |
| 4 | Wyoming | $85,070 | +39% above national |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $84,400 | +37% above national |
| 6 | California | $80,370 | +31% above national |
| 7 | New Mexico | $78,960 | +29% above national |
| 8 | Tennessee | $74,190 | +21% above national |
| 9 | Florida | $69,780 | +14% above national |
| 10 | Colorado | $69,640 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Utah | $67,910 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Hawaii | $64,560 | +5% above national |
| 13 | Missouri | $64,040 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Virginia | $63,920 | +4% above national |
| 15 | Georgia | $61,480 | same as national |
| 16 | Illinois | $60,520 | 1% below national |
| 17 | Nevada | $60,500 | 1% below national |
| 18 | Idaho | $60,360 | 2% below national |
| 19 | Alabama | $59,820 | 3% below national |
| 20 | Maryland | $59,720 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Indiana | $59,110 | 4% below national |
| 22 | South Dakota | $56,780 | 8% below national |
| 23 | Texas | $56,600 | 8% below national |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $55,180 | 10% below national |
| 25 | Arkansas | $53,120 | 13% below national |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $52,400 | 15% below national |
| 27 | Kentucky | $50,360 | 18% below national |
| 28 | West Virginia | $49,630 | 19% below national |
| 29 | Mississippi | $47,060 | 23% below national |
| 30 | Ohio | $46,630 | 24% below national |
| 31 | Louisiana | $39,900 | 35% below national |
| 32 | Iowa | $39,520 | 36% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 15 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,520 | +64% above national |
| 2 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $97,910 | +59% above national |
| 3 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $92,290 | +50% above national |
| 4 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $86,900 | +42% above national |
| 5 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $83,750 | +36% above national |
| 6 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $70,200 | +14% above national |
| 7 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $66,850 | +9% above national |
| 8 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $64,880 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $63,920 | +4% above national |
| 10 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $62,610 | +2% above national |
| 11 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $62,140 | +1% above national |
| 12 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $62,070 | +1% above national |
| 13 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $55,830 | 9% below national |
| 14 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $45,180 | 26% below national |
| 15 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $27,400 | 55% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 47 (Construction and Extraction Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Boilermakers
SOC 47-2011
Brickmasons and Blockmasons
SOC 47-2021
Carpenters
SOC 47-2031
Carpet Installers
SOC 47-2041
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
SOC 47-2051
Showing 5 of 59 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Construction and Extraction Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($61,390 here) and reported employment (5,100 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters make? ▼
Where does Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters the most? ▼
What education do Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters? ▼
Is Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters a good career? ▼
How does Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $80,370/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New Jersey leads at $100,520/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.