Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

47-5032 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.

National estimates for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Industry profile for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Geographic profile for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

National estimates for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
5,370	6.1 %	$ 27.44	$ 57,070	1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$ 17.73	$ 21.93	$ 25.50	$ 31.66	$ 38.14
Annual Wage (2)	$ 36,880	$ 45,610	$ 53,040	$ 65,850	$ 79,320

Industry profile for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only)	860	0.23	$ 27.26	$ 56,690
Other Specialty Trade Contractors	790	0.11	$ 29.37	$ 61,090
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	340	0.35	$ 31.32	$ 65,140
Support Activities for Mining	290	0.14	$ 29.78	$ 61,940
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	270	0.02	$ 31.38	$ 65,260

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Metal Ore Mining	180	0.44	$ 29.23	$ 60,790
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	340	0.35	$ 31.32	$ 65,140
Coal Mining	90	0.24	$ 35.52	$ 73,890
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only)	860	0.23	$ 27.26	$ 56,690
Support Activities for Mining	290	0.14	$ 29.78	$ 61,940

Top paying industries for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Utility System Construction	(8)	(8)	$ 37.33	$ 77,650
Coal Mining	90	0.24	$ 35.52	$ 73,890
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	90	0.05	$ 34.60	$ 71,960
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation)	40	(7)	$ 32.59	$ 67,790
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	270	0.02	$ 31.38	$ 65,260

Geographic profile for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Map of employment of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters by state, May 2021

States with the highest employment level in 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	580	0.05	1.23	$ 25.07	$ 52,140
Oklahoma	510	0.33	8.54	$ 23.21	$ 48,270
Indiana	390	0.13	3.44	$ 23.85	$ 49,600
Kentucky	330	0.18	4.77	$ 23.26	$ 48,380
Pennsylvania	330	0.06	1.56	$ 28.58	$ 59,450

Map of location quotient of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters by state, May 2021

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Oklahoma	510	0.33	8.54	$ 23.21	$ 48,270
Wyoming	70	0.27	7.11	$ 32.92	$ 68,470
West Virginia	130	0.20	5.36	$ 23.64	$ 49,180
Kentucky	330	0.18	4.77	$ 23.26	$ 48,380
New Mexico	130	0.17	4.54	$ 29.08	$ 60,490

Map of annual mean wages of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters by state, May 2021

Top paying states for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Washington	80	0.02	0.65	$ 42.43	$ 88,250
Arizona	50	0.02	0.42	$ 42.12	$ 87,600
New York	70	0.01	0.20	$ 38.02	$ 79,070
Nevada	80	0.06	1.68	$ 37.49	$ 77,980
New Hampshire	100	0.16	4.12	$ 37.47	$ 77,940

Map of employment of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters by area, May 2021

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in 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	150	0.04	1.10	$ 23.60	$ 49,090
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	140	0.05	1.23	$ 32.23	$ 67,040
Austin-Round Rock, TX	120	0.12	3.03	$ 24.67	$ 51,320
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	100	0.07	1.83	$ 26.61	$ 55,350
Pittsburgh, PA	60	0.06	1.58	$ 29.66	$ 61,690
Salt Lake City, UT	60	0.08	2.08	$ 26.64	$ 55,420
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	60	0.06	1.50	$ 28.66	$ 59,600
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	60	0.02	0.55	$ 32.27	$ 67,110
Richmond, VA	50	0.08	2.08	$ 32.33	$ 67,250
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	40	0.04	1.15	$ 29.51	$ 61,380

Map of location quotient of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters by area, May 2021

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in 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)
Austin-Round Rock, TX	120	0.12	3.03	$ 24.67	$ 51,320
Knoxville, TN	40	0.10	2.75	$ 34.42	$ 71,590
Albuquerque, NM	40	0.10	2.63	$ 28.34	$ 58,950
Richmond, VA	50	0.08	2.08	$ 32.33	$ 67,250
Salt Lake City, UT	60	0.08	2.08	$ 26.64	$ 55,420
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	100	0.07	1.83	$ 26.61	$ 55,350
Pittsburgh, PA	60	0.06	1.58	$ 29.66	$ 61,690
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	60	0.06	1.50	$ 28.66	$ 59,600
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	140	0.05	1.23	$ 32.23	$ 67,040
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	40	0.04	1.15	$ 29.51	$ 61,380

Map of annual mean wages of explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters by area, May 2021

Top paying metropolitan areas for 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)
Knoxville, TN	40	0.10	2.75	$ 34.42	$ 71,590
Richmond, VA	50	0.08	2.08	$ 32.33	$ 67,250
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	60	0.02	0.55	$ 32.27	$ 67,110
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	140	0.05	1.23	$ 32.23	$ 67,040
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 31.00	$ 64,480
Pittsburgh, PA	60	0.06	1.58	$ 29.66	$ 61,690
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	40	0.04	1.15	$ 29.51	$ 61,380
St. Louis, MO-IL	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 29.19	$ 60,720
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	60	0.06	1.50	$ 28.66	$ 59,600
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 28.52	$ 59,320

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area	490	2.98	78.18	$ 23.27	$ 48,410
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area	250	1.38	36.17	$ 23.45	$ 48,780
Nevada nonmetropolitan area	70	0.71	18.59	$ 36.52	$ 75,960
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area	50	0.67	17.59	$ 32.38	$ 67,340
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area	40	0.34	8.91	$ 21.40	$ 44,510

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area	490	2.98	78.18	$ 23.27	$ 48,410
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area	250	1.38	36.17	$ 23.45	$ 48,780
Nevada nonmetropolitan area	70	0.71	18.59	$ 36.52	$ 75,960
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area	50	0.67	17.59	$ 32.38	$ 67,340
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area	40	0.34	8.91	$ 21.40	$ 44,510

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area	70	0.71	18.59	$ 36.52	$ 75,960
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area	30	0.25	6.48	$ 35.15	$ 73,110
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area	50	0.67	17.59	$ 32.38	$ 67,340
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 25.48	$ 52,990
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 23.67	$ 49,230

About May 2021 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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022