Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters · SOC 47-5032
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked (1 such areas are excluded here). Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 15 of 15 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,520 | 120 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $97,910 | Not published | Not published |
| 3 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $92,290 | 60 | 0.2 |
| 4 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $86,900 | 60 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $83,750 | 50 | 0.1 |
| 6 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $70,200 | 80 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $66,850 | 80 | 0.2 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $64,880 | 50 | 0.1 |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $63,920 | Not published | Not published |
| 10 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $62,610 | 50 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $62,140 | 30 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $62,070 | 50 | 1.1 |
| 13 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $55,830 | 180 | 0.1 |
| 14 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $45,180 | 90 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $27,400 | 60 | 0.1 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters overview.
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.