SOC 47-5032 · Construction and Extraction Occupations
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earned a median of $61,390 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 5,100 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $100,520 | $48.33 | Not published | Not published |
| New York | $96,940 | $46.61 | Not published | Not published |
| North Carolina | $85,630 | $41.17 | 160 | 0.0 |
| Wyoming | $85,070 | $40.90 | 60 | 0.2 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,400 | $40.58 | Not published | Not published |
| California | $80,370 | $38.64 | 220 | 0.0 |
| New Mexico | $78,960 | $37.96 | 80 | 0.1 |
| Tennessee | $74,190 | $35.67 | 70 | 0.0 |
| Florida | $69,780 | $33.55 | 90 | 0.0 |
| Colorado | $69,640 | $33.48 | 140 | 0.0 |
| Utah | $67,910 | $32.65 | 50 | 0.0 |
| Hawaii | $64,560 | $31.04 | 110 | 0.2 |
| Missouri | $64,040 | $30.79 | 150 | 0.1 |
| Virginia | $63,920 | $30.73 | 80 | 0.0 |
| Georgia | $61,480 | $29.56 | 70 | 0.0 |
| Illinois | $60,520 | $29.10 | 110 | 0.0 |
| Nevada | $60,500 | $29.09 | 260 | 0.2 |
| Idaho | $60,360 | $29.02 | Not published | Not published |
| Alabama | $59,820 | $28.76 | 100 | 0.0 |
| Maryland | $59,720 | $28.71 | Not published | Not published |
| Indiana | $59,110 | $28.42 | 330 | 0.1 |
| South Dakota | $56,780 | $27.30 | Not published | Not published |
| Texas | $56,600 | $27.21 | 460 | 0.0 |
| Oklahoma | $55,180 | $26.53 | 330 | 0.2 |
| Arkansas | $53,120 | $25.54 | 90 | 0.1 |
| Wisconsin | $52,400 | $25.19 | 60 | 0.0 |
| Kentucky | $50,360 | $24.21 | 380 | 0.2 |
| West Virginia | $49,630 | $23.86 | 50 | 0.1 |
| Mississippi | $47,060 | $22.63 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Ohio | $46,630 | $22.42 | 120 | 0.0 |
| Louisiana | $39,900 | $19.18 | 130 | 0.1 |
| Iowa | $39,520 | $19.00 | 90 | 0.1 |
Pay by metro area
All 16 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,520 | $48.33 | 120 | 0.0 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $97,910 | $47.07 | Not published | Not published |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $92,290 | $44.37 | 60 | 0.2 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $86,900 | $41.78 | 60 | 0.0 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $83,750 | $40.26 | 50 | 0.1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $70,200 | $33.75 | 80 | 0.0 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $66,850 | $32.14 | 80 | 0.2 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $64,880 | $31.19 | 50 | 0.1 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $63,920 | $30.73 | Not published | Not published |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $62,610 | $30.10 | 50 | 0.0 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $62,140 | $29.88 | 30 | 0.0 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | $62,070 | $29.84 | 50 | 1.1 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $55,830 | $26.84 | 180 | 0.1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $45,180 | $21.72 | 90 | 0.0 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $27,400 | $13.17 | 60 | 0.1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Not published | Not published | 30 | 0.0 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.