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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

47-5097 Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

This occupation includes the 2018 SOC occupations 47-5023 Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and 47-5032 Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters; and the 2010 SOC occupations 47-5021 Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas and 47-5031 Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
24,940 3.7 % $23.50 $48,890 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.40 $18.06 $22.24 $27.79 $34.48
Annual Wage (2) $32,020 $37,560 $46,250 $57,810 $71,730


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Utility System Construction 8,810 1.54 $22.46 $46,710
Support Activities for Mining 3,110 0.89 $23.82 $49,550
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 2,920 0.41 $23.70 $49,290
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,580 0.08 $22.67 $47,150
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,330 0.09 $22.20 $46,180

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Metal Ore Mining 1,190 2.83 $24.87 $51,740
Utility System Construction 8,810 1.54 $22.46 $46,710
Support Activities for Mining 3,110 0.89 $23.82 $49,550
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 730 0.73 $24.63 $51,230
Coal Mining 360 0.70 $27.44 $57,080

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 80 0.01 $31.52 $65,550
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (8) (8) $30.79 $64,040
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 40 (7) $29.88 $62,160
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 300 0.24 $28.21 $58,670
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance (8) (8) $28.15 $58,560


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 3,190 0.26 1.51 $20.16 $41,930
California 2,430 0.14 0.82 $25.82 $53,710
Nevada 1,320 0.95 5.58 $24.38 $50,710
Florida 1,220 0.14 0.82 $19.75 $41,070
Oklahoma 980 0.61 3.58 $20.92 $43,510




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 350 1.28 7.54 $28.39 $59,060
Alaska 350 1.11 6.56 $29.12 $60,560
Nevada 1,320 0.95 5.58 $24.38 $50,710
West Virginia 620 0.88 5.16 $20.64 $42,920
Oklahoma 980 0.61 3.58 $20.92 $43,510




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 80 0.13 0.78 $29.84 $62,060
New Jersey 500 0.12 0.72 $29.70 $61,770
New York 570 0.06 0.35 $29.29 $60,920
Alaska 350 1.11 6.56 $29.12 $60,560
Louisiana 90 0.05 0.27 $28.90 $60,110





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 810 0.13 0.76 $25.81 $53,690
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 710 0.19 1.14 $20.74 $43,140
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 610 0.44 2.61 $23.98 $49,870
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 590 0.28 1.65 $26.08 $54,250
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 520 0.05 0.32 $31.52 $65,570
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 400 0.39 2.29 $21.12 $43,930
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 380 0.25 1.45 $24.04 $50,010
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 350 0.23 1.36 $24.56 $51,090
Austin-Round Rock, TX 250 0.23 1.35 $19.39 $40,320
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 230 0.07 0.43 $24.15 $50,230




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fairbanks, AK 40 1.10 6.45 $31.85 $66,250
Winchester, VA-WV 60 0.92 5.44 $25.79 $53,630
Morgantown, WV 60 0.87 5.12 $16.95 $35,250
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 110 0.82 4.85 $37.99 $79,010
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 100 0.74 4.35 $24.51 $50,990
Flagstaff, AZ 40 0.72 4.21 $26.23 $54,550
Salem, OR 110 0.63 3.71 $27.31 $56,800
Charleston, WV 60 0.58 3.44 $20.45 $42,530
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 50 0.51 2.97 $31.07 $64,620
College Station-Bryan, TX 60 0.51 2.97 $18.48 $38,440




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 110 0.82 4.85 $37.99 $79,010
Fairbanks, AK 40 1.10 6.45 $31.85 $66,250
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 520 0.05 0.32 $31.52 $65,570
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 50 0.51 2.97 $31.07 $64,620
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 140 0.06 0.32 $30.83 $64,130
Urban Honolulu, HI (8) (8) (8) $30.41 $63,240
Columbus, OH 60 0.06 0.35 $30.40 $63,230
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 150 0.07 0.44 $29.79 $61,970
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 50 0.09 0.51 $29.44 $61,240
Winston-Salem, NC 40 0.16 0.93 $29.36 $61,080

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 1,130 11.46 67.46 $23.79 $49,480
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 350 1.86 10.95 $22.68 $47,170
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 280 3.26 19.21 $28.53 $59,350
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 280 2.54 14.97 $29.03 $60,390
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 260 1.75 10.30 $20.34 $42,310

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 1,130 11.46 67.46 $23.79 $49,480
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 280 3.26 19.21 $28.53 $59,350
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 280 2.54 14.97 $29.03 $60,390
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 170 2.24 13.21 $21.46 $44,640
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 350 1.86 10.95 $22.68 $47,170

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 70 1.02 6.03 $31.45 $65,430
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 90 1.10 6.46 $30.44 $63,320
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 40 0.53 3.13 $29.74 $61,860
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 280 2.54 14.97 $29.03 $60,390
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 30 0.32 1.87 $28.94 $60,190


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020