Construction and Extraction · Holland code RCI

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.

Also called: Blast Hole Driller, Blaster, Explosive Technician, Powderman, Unexploded Ordnance Quality Control Officer.

O*NET 47-5032.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $61,390; Middle half earn $49,630 to $80,370. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 63% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signal workers as necessary to ensure that they clear blast sites prior to explosions.
Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
Insert, pack, and pour explosives, such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder, or slurries into blast holes; then shovel drill cuttings, admit water into boreholes, and tamp material to compact charges.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.9 / 5
Monitoring3.8 / 5
Critical Thinking3.6 / 5
Speaking3.4 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Active Learning3.1 / 5

Knowledge areas

Public Safety and Security4.1 / 5
Law and Government4.0 / 5
Mathematics3.7 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.3 / 5
Administration and Management3.2 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic98
Investigative46
Artistic4
Social5
Enterprising14
Conventional53

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

artillery officer · DE Artillerieoffizier/Artillerieoffizierin · FR officier d'artillerie
bomb disposal technician · DE Angehöriger des Kampfmittelräumdienstes/Angehörige des Kampfmittelräumdienstes · FR démineur/démineuse
explosives engineer · DE Ingenieur Sprengtechnik/Ingenieurin Sprengtechnik · FR ingénieur explosifs/ingénieure explosifs
pyrotechnician · DE Pyrotechniker/Pyrotechnikerin · FR pyrotechnicien/pyrotechnicienne
shotfirer · DE Sprengmeister/Sprengmeisterin · FR artificier en bâtiment/artificière en bâtiment
abrasive blasting operator · DE Sandstrahler/Sandstrahlerin · FR opérateur de traitement d’abrasion de surface/opératrice de traitement d’abrasion de surface

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Officers in armed forces (1161)33,700 employed
Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c. (8149)26,300 employed
Non-commissioned officers and other ranks (3311)46,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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