Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasterss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$99,420
- New Jersey$98,880
- North Carolina$85,330
- Pennsylvania$83,060
- Florida$82,930
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Iowa$43,280
- Louisiana$43,530
- Mississippi$49,970
- Kentucky$50,570
- West Virginia$53,890
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $99,420 | $96,940 | $48 | +49.2% | — |
| 2 | New Jersey | $98,880 | $100,520 | $48 | +48.4% | — |
| 3 | North Carolina | $85,330 | $85,630 | $41 | +28% | 160 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $83,060 | $84,400 | $40 | +24.6% | — |
| 5 | Florida | $82,930 | $69,780 | $40 | +24.4% | 90 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $81,720 | $85,070 | $39 | +22.6% | 60 |
| 7 | California | $75,140 | $80,370 | $36 | +12.8% | 220 |
| 8 | Idaho | $74,000 | $60,360 | $36 | +11% | — |
| 9 | Hawaii | $72,750 | $64,560 | $35 | +9.2% | 110 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $72,550 | $74,190 | $35 | +8.9% | 70 |
| 11 | Illinois | $71,080 | $60,520 | $34 | +6.7% | 110 |
| 12 | Colorado | $70,670 | $69,640 | $34 | +6% | 140 |
| 13 | Maryland | $70,420 | $59,720 | $34 | +5.7% | — |
| 14 | Utah | $69,450 | $67,910 | $33 | +4.2% | 50 |
| 15 | Georgia | $69,000 | $61,480 | $33 | +3.5% | 70 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $68,700 | $78,960 | $33 | +3.1% | 80 |
| 17 | Nevada | $68,160 | $60,500 | $33 | +2.3% | 260 |
| 18 | Virginia | $67,710 | $63,920 | $33 | +1.6% | 80 |
| 19 | Missouri | $66,140 | $64,040 | $32 | -0.8% | 150 |
| 20 | Alabama | $63,980 | $59,820 | $31 | -4% | 100 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $63,670 | $56,780 | $31 | -4.5% | — |
| 22 | Indiana | $59,670 | $59,110 | $29 | -10.5% | 330 |
| 23 | Texas | $58,910 | $56,600 | $28 | -11.6% | 460 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $58,040 | $52,400 | $28 | -12.9% | 60 |
| 25 | Ohio | $57,890 | $46,630 | $28 | -13.1% | 120 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $56,390 | $53,120 | $27 | -15.4% | 90 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $56,020 | $55,180 | $27 | -15.9% | 330 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $53,890 | $49,630 | $26 | -19.1% | 50 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $50,570 | $50,360 | $24 | -24.1% | 380 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $49,970 | $47,060 | $24 | -25% | 40 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $43,530 | $39,900 | $21 | -34.7% | 130 |
| 32 | Iowa | $43,280 | $39,520 | $21 | -35.1% | 90 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 23 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,520 | $103,540 | 120 |
| 2 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $97,910 | $91,320 | — |
| 3 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $92,290 | $95,680 | 60 |
| 4 | Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area | $88,920 | $86,170 | 70 |
| 5 | Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $88,000 | $85,760 | 30 |
| 6 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $86,900 | $87,690 | 60 |
| 7 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $83,750 | $78,840 | 50 |
| 8 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $70,200 | $70,310 | 80 |
| 9 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $66,850 | $73,490 | 80 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $64,880 | $63,740 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasterss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal Mining | $80,250 | $80,170 | 140 |
| 2 | Other Specialty Trade Contractors | $79,730 | $80,580 | 440 |
| 3 | Chemical Manufacturing | $76,800 | $83,050 | 100 |
| 4 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $76,800 | $83,050 | 100 |
| 5 | Specialty Trade Contractors | $74,980 | $72,800 | 590 |
| 6 | Sector 23 - Construction | $72,630 | $71,540 | 680 |
| 7 | Mining (except Oil and Gas) | $70,300 | $69,840 | 740 |
| 8 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $69,000 | $82,660 | 30 |
| 9 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $68,270 | $75,050 | 580 |
| 10 | Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade | $68,270 | $75,050 | 580 |
| 11 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $67,780 | $74,620 | 580 |
| 12 | Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $65,800 | $68,090 | 1,140 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make in the U.S.?
The median explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters salary in the United States is $61,390 per year (mean $66,640), and about 80% earn between $40,480 and $99,360.
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $66,640 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters the most?
New York has the highest average pay for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters at $99,420 per year (median $96,940).
What is the job outlook for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters?
Employment is projected to change -0.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 500 openings per year.