Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
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 Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Industry profile for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Geographic profile for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
National estimates for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 22,540 |
3.4 % |
$ 24.54 |
$ 51,040 |
0.8 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 16.08 |
$ 19.08 |
$ 23.32 |
$ 28.94 |
$ 35.41 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 33,440 |
$ 39,690 |
$ 48,510 |
$ 60,190 |
$ 73,650 |
Industry profile for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Utility System Construction |
7,410 |
1.33 |
$ 23.21 |
$ 48,270 |
| Support Activities for Mining |
2,690 |
0.99 |
$ 26.04 |
$ 54,170 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
2,390 |
0.34 |
$ 25.11 |
$ 52,240 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
1,580 |
0.08 |
$ 24.07 |
$ 50,070 |
| Metal Ore Mining |
1,450 |
3.58 |
$ 25.65 |
$ 53,340 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Top paying industries for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Geographic profile for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Texas |
3,110 |
0.26 |
1.59 |
$ 22.40 |
$ 46,600 |
| California |
1,760 |
0.11 |
0.66 |
$ 26.44 |
$ 55,000 |
| Nevada |
1,300 |
1.04 |
6.41 |
$ 25.33 |
$ 52,680 |
| Florida |
1,200 |
0.14 |
0.87 |
$ 22.05 |
$ 45,860 |
| Maryland |
810 |
0.32 |
1.97 |
$ 24.25 |
$ 50,450 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
420 |
1.42 |
8.73 |
$ 30.12 |
$ 62,650 |
| Nevada |
1,300 |
1.04 |
6.41 |
$ 25.33 |
$ 52,680 |
| Wyoming |
230 |
0.89 |
5.49 |
$ 29.81 |
$ 62,000 |
| West Virginia |
440 |
0.68 |
4.17 |
$ 22.61 |
$ 47,020 |
| Montana |
240 |
0.52 |
3.20 |
$ 22.91 |
$ 47,660 |
Top paying states for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Louisiana |
120 |
0.07 |
0.42 |
$ 34.13 |
$ 70,990 |
| Alaska |
420 |
1.42 |
8.73 |
$ 30.12 |
$ 62,650 |
| Wyoming |
230 |
0.89 |
5.49 |
$ 29.81 |
$ 62,000 |
| New York |
610 |
0.07 |
0.44 |
$ 28.88 |
$ 60,070 |
| Washington |
350 |
0.11 |
0.68 |
$ 28.60 |
$ 59,490 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
710 |
0.20 |
1.22 |
$ 21.69 |
$ 45,120 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
570 |
0.44 |
2.74 |
$ 23.79 |
$ 49,480 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX |
480 |
0.45 |
2.80 |
$ 20.05 |
$ 41,700 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
460 |
0.22 |
1.36 |
$ 28.44 |
$ 59,160 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
350 |
0.04 |
0.24 |
$ 28.58 |
$ 59,440 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
320 |
0.22 |
1.37 |
$ 25.56 |
$ 53,170 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
260 |
0.14 |
0.88 |
$ 28.65 |
$ 59,590 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
260 |
0.17 |
1.06 |
$ 23.47 |
$ 48,810 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
250 |
0.09 |
0.56 |
$ 22.62 |
$ 47,040 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX |
240 |
0.24 |
1.46 |
$ 23.47 |
$ 48,820 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fairbanks, AK |
40 |
1.22 |
7.51 |
$ 32.85 |
$ 68,340 |
| Winchester, VA-WV |
60 |
0.99 |
6.10 |
$ 26.86 |
$ 55,870 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ |
100 |
0.91 |
5.62 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Charleston, WV |
80 |
0.78 |
4.83 |
$ 20.32 |
$ 42,270 |
| St. Cloud, MN |
80 |
0.76 |
4.68 |
$ 22.62 |
$ 47,060 |
| Manchester, NH |
70 |
0.64 |
3.95 |
$ 26.46 |
$ 55,040 |
| Salem, OR |
100 |
0.62 |
3.81 |
$ 27.50 |
$ 57,200 |
| Las Cruces, NM |
40 |
0.59 |
3.62 |
$ 20.80 |
$ 43,270 |
| Morgantown, WV |
40 |
0.58 |
3.56 |
$ 18.41 |
$ 38,300 |
| Ocala, FL |
60 |
0.56 |
3.47 |
$ 20.38 |
$ 42,380 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Lafayette, LA |
(8) |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 47.16 |
$ 98,100 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
190 |
0.08 |
0.52 |
$ 33.25 |
$ 69,160 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY |
100 |
0.23 |
1.42 |
$ 33.22 |
$ 69,090 |
| Fairbanks, AK |
40 |
1.22 |
7.51 |
$ 32.85 |
$ 68,340 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
220 |
0.04 |
0.24 |
$ 31.06 |
$ 64,600 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV |
40 |
0.04 |
0.24 |
$ 30.24 |
$ 62,890 |
| Worcester, MA-CT |
80 |
0.29 |
1.77 |
$ 30.09 |
$ 62,590 |
| Columbus, OH |
50 |
0.05 |
0.30 |
$ 29.74 |
$ 61,850 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ |
60 |
0.18 |
1.09 |
$ 29.69 |
$ 61,760 |
| Bakersfield, CA |
120 |
0.40 |
2.44 |
$ 29.49 |
$ 61,330 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
About May 2020 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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021
United States Department of Labor
