What You Need to Know About Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster
Career Description 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. Includes seismograph shooters.
What Do Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Do On a Daily Basis?
- Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
- Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
- Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
- Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
- Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
- Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
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Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster Needed Skills
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Other Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster Job Titles
- Charge Entry Specialist
- Explosive Expert
- Ore Miner, Blasting
- Shot Fireman
- Explosives Detonator
Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster Job Outlook
There were about 6,300 jobs for Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 500 new jobs for Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 800 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster are Tennessee, Wyoming, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, Washington, or Utah. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salary
The salary for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters ranges between about $34,500 and $76,070 a year.
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters who work in Nevada, New York, or New Mexico, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,440 |
| Alaska | $63,620 |
| Arizona | $55,880 |
| Arkansas | $41,400 |
| California | $68,980 |
| Colorado | $60,750 |
| Florida | $55,470 |
| Georgia | $49,600 |
| Hawaii | $61,590 |
| Illinois | $61,180 |
| Indiana | $50,220 |
| Kentucky | $50,340 |
| Louisiana | $52,610 |
| Maryland | $65,020 |
| Massachusetts | $65,760 |
| Missouri | $48,770 |
| Montana | $63,590 |
| Nevada | $65,860 |
| New Mexico | $65,350 |
| New York | $72,090 |
| North Carolina | $60,160 |
| Ohio | $47,560 |
| Oklahoma | $43,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,830 |
| Tennessee | $47,040 |
| Texas | $41,050 |
| Utah | $49,530 |
| West Virginia | $47,530 |
| Wisconsin | $76,390 |
| Wyoming | $65,800 |
What Tools do Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Global Positioning System GPS software
- ESRI ArcGIS software
How to Become an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster
Education needed to be an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster:
What work experience do I need to become an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster?
Where do Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Work?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Tomwsulcer via Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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