Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts and Blasters: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

Explosives Workers

Explosives Workers 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. Includes seismograph shooters.

Salary
$51040
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Low
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

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. Includes seismograph shooters.

  • 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.
Read more about what does an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert and Blaster really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$52780 per year

Average hourly wage
$25 per hour


Explosives Workers with little to no experience tend to make between $34500 and $41190 while the more experienced ones can earn over $62050 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
WI $37 $76,390
NY $35 $72,090
CA $33 $68,980
NV $32 $65,860
WY $32 $65,800

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert and Blaster is to move to a higher paying state like WI. Right now, the highest paying states for Explosives Workers are WI, NY, CA, NV and WY.

However, a higher pay at WI doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at WI might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert and Blaster is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
No degree required

We asked other Explosives Workers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by a Post-Secondary Certificate.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Blasting/Blaster
Read more about how to become an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert and Blaster and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert and Blaster.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes practical and hands-on work
Suitable for people who wants to work in a supportive work environment
This career is perfect for people who love to work outdoors.
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Demand for this career is growing
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to help and teach others
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week)

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
63%

Is this job meaningful
56%


63% of Explosives Workers said they were satisfied with their job and 56% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Builders and The Thinkers

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.



Learn more about Explosives Workers

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

Explosives Workers job description, Explosives Workers salary, Explosives Workers information, what is the job of an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert and Blaster like, pros and cons about Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts and Blasters, colleges and universities for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts and Blasters, is Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts and Blasters the right career for me, careers in Construction and Extraction

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