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Skilled Trades

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$61,390

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$40k – $99k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

    Entry / Junior

    $40,480

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

    Established

    $61,390

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

    Senior

    $80,375

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.