Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Also called: Aircraft Ordnance Technician, Ammunition and Explosives Handler, Blast Driller, Blast Hole Driller, Blast Setter, Blast Technician, Blaster, Blasting Clay Miner
Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
What explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters do
Typical 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.
- Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
- Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters salary
The median annual wage for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters is $61,390 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $40,480 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $99,360. The mean annual wage is $66,640.
The mean hourly wage of $32.00 is 4.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $61,390 → in 3 years $67,100 → in 5 years $71,200 → in 10 years $82,500 (10-year range $71,000–$95,800). The model assumes pay growth of +3.0% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters United States | 花火師 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $61,390 | ¥5.50M ≈ $34,974 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $82,500 | ¥7.06M |
| Outlook score | 46 | 53 |
| AI replacement risk | 23% Low | — |
| Workers | 5,100 | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.