Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
SHARE ON:
Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
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) |
| 4,610 |
4.5 % |
$ 31.54 |
$ 65,600 |
1.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 20.51 |
$ 23.90 |
$ 29.61 |
$ 38.26 |
$ 42.98 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 42,670 |
$ 49,710 |
$ 61,590 |
$ 79,580 |
$ 89,400 |
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) |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
1,280 |
0.06 |
$ 26.95 |
$ 56,050 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) |
700 |
0.18 |
$ 31.86 |
$ 66,280 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
410 |
0.05 |
$ 39.74 |
$ 82,660 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying |
210 |
0.22 |
$ 32.44 |
$ 67,480 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
180 |
0.05 |
$ 40.88 |
$ 85,030 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
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) |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
100 |
0.01 |
$ 41.24 |
$ 85,770 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
180 |
0.05 |
$ 40.88 |
$ 85,030 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
410 |
0.05 |
$ 39.74 |
$ 82,660 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
30 |
(7) |
$ 36.99 |
$ 76,940 |
| Metal Ore Mining |
170 |
0.41 |
$ 36.52 |
$ 75,970 |
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.
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) |
| Indiana |
430 |
0.14 |
4.46 |
$ 32.04 |
$ 66,640 |
| Oklahoma |
380 |
0.23 |
7.52 |
$ 24.94 |
$ 51,880 |
| Texas |
260 |
0.02 |
0.63 |
$ 30.02 |
$ 62,440 |
| Kentucky |
230 |
0.12 |
3.91 |
$ 24.71 |
$ 51,390 |
| Missouri |
230 |
0.08 |
2.67 |
$ 28.26 |
$ 58,770 |
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) |
| West Virginia |
200 |
0.29 |
9.40 |
$ 26.74 |
$ 55,620 |
| Wyoming |
60 |
0.23 |
7.59 |
$ 36.89 |
$ 76,740 |
| Oklahoma |
380 |
0.23 |
7.52 |
$ 24.94 |
$ 51,880 |
| Hawaii |
130 |
0.21 |
6.76 |
$ 35.76 |
$ 74,370 |
| Indiana |
430 |
0.14 |
4.46 |
$ 32.04 |
$ 66,640 |
Top paying states for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
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) |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
120 |
0.27 |
8.84 |
$ 35.68 |
$ 74,210 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
80 |
0.03 |
0.90 |
$ 35.23 |
$ 73,280 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
80 |
0.06 |
1.95 |
$ 26.29 |
$ 54,680 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
80 |
0.05 |
1.61 |
$ 32.25 |
$ 67,080 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS |
70 |
0.06 |
2.06 |
$ 28.63 |
$ 59,540 |
| Bakersfield, CA |
60 |
0.17 |
5.58 |
$ 39.28 |
$ 81,710 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX |
50 |
0.05 |
1.53 |
$ 28.95 |
$ 60,210 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN |
50 |
0.05 |
1.50 |
$ 46.93 |
$ 97,620 |
| Salt Lake City, UT |
50 |
0.06 |
1.93 |
$ 28.22 |
$ 58,700 |
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) |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
120 |
0.27 |
8.84 |
$ 35.68 |
$ 74,210 |
| Bakersfield, CA |
60 |
0.17 |
5.58 |
$ 39.28 |
$ 81,710 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS |
70 |
0.06 |
2.06 |
$ 28.63 |
$ 59,540 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
80 |
0.06 |
1.95 |
$ 26.29 |
$ 54,680 |
| Salt Lake City, UT |
50 |
0.06 |
1.93 |
$ 28.22 |
$ 58,700 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
80 |
0.05 |
1.61 |
$ 32.25 |
$ 67,080 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX |
50 |
0.05 |
1.53 |
$ 28.95 |
$ 60,210 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN |
50 |
0.05 |
1.50 |
$ 46.93 |
$ 97,620 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
80 |
0.03 |
0.90 |
$ 35.23 |
$ 73,280 |
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) |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN |
50 |
0.05 |
1.50 |
$ 46.93 |
$ 97,620 |
| Bakersfield, CA |
60 |
0.17 |
5.58 |
$ 39.28 |
$ 81,710 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
120 |
0.27 |
8.84 |
$ 35.68 |
$ 74,210 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
80 |
0.03 |
0.90 |
$ 35.23 |
$ 73,280 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
80 |
0.05 |
1.61 |
$ 32.25 |
$ 67,080 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX |
50 |
0.05 |
1.53 |
$ 28.95 |
$ 60,210 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS |
70 |
0.06 |
2.06 |
$ 28.63 |
$ 59,540 |
| Salt Lake City, UT |
50 |
0.06 |
1.93 |
$ 28.22 |
$ 58,700 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
80 |
0.06 |
1.95 |
$ 26.29 |
$ 54,680 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
About May 2023 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 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
