Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster

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.

• Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
• Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
• Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
• Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panel boards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
• Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
• Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.

• 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.
• Critical Thinking
  :
  Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  :
  Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Operation Monitoring
  :
  Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Operation and Control
  :
  Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

• Unexploded Ordnance Quality Control Officer
• Muck Miner, Blasting
• Lode Miner, Blasting
• Blasting Coal Miner

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 Experts, and Blasters 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.

The average yearly salary of an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster ranges between $34,500 and $76,070.

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters who work in Nevada, New York, or New Mexico make the highest salaries.

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Power Point
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Global Positioning System GPS software
• ESRI ArcGIS software

Individuals working as an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster have obtained the following education levels:

What work experience do I need to become an Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, or Blaster?

Below are examples of industries where Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters work: