Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay in the U.S.
$66,640avg. a year
$32.04 an hour · 5,100 employed
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters in the U.S. earn an average of $66,640 a year and a median of $61,390. Pay is highest in New York ($99,420) and lowest in Iowa ($43,280).
$61,390Median pay
$32.04Average hourly
+17%Avg. pay since 2021
5,100Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1
New York
$99,420
$47.80 an hour
2
New Jersey
$98,880
$47.54 an hour
3160 jobs
North Carolina
$85,330
$41.02 an hour
4
Pennsylvania
$83,060
$39.93 an hour
590 jobs
Florida
$82,930
$39.87 an hour
660 jobs
Wyoming
$81,720
$39.29 an hour
7220 jobs
California
$75,140
$36.13 an hour
8
Idaho
$74,000
$35.58 an hour
9110 jobs
Hawaii
$72,750
$34.98 an hour
1070 jobs
Tennessee
$72,550
$34.88 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $58k$58k–$69k$69k–$74k$74k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,540 | $49.78 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $59,490 | $28.60 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,980 | $59,820 | 100 |
| Arkansas | $56,390 | $53,120 | 90 |
| California | $75,140 | $80,370 | 220 |
| Colorado | $70,670 | $69,640 | 140 |
| Florida | $82,930 | $69,780 | 90 |
| Georgia | $69,000 | $61,480 | 70 |
| Hawaii | $72,750 | $64,560 | 110 |
| Idaho | $74,000 | $60,360 | – |
| Illinois | $71,080 | $60,520 | 110 |
| Indiana | $59,670 | $59,110 | 330 |
| Iowa | $43,280 | $39,520 | 90 |
| Kentucky | $50,570 | $50,360 | 380 |
| Louisiana | $43,530 | $39,900 | 130 |
| Maryland | $70,420 | $59,720 | – |
| Mississippi | $49,970 | $47,060 | 40 |
| Missouri | $66,140 | $64,040 | 150 |
| Nevada | $68,160 | $60,500 | 260 |
| New Jersey | $98,880 | $100,520 | – |
| New Mexico | $68,700 | $78,960 | 80 |
| New York | $99,420 | $96,940 | – |
| North Carolina | $85,330 | $85,630 | 160 |
| Ohio | $57,890 | $46,630 | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $56,020 | $55,180 | 330 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,060 | $84,400 | – |
| South Dakota | $63,670 | $56,780 | – |
| Tennessee | $72,550 | $74,190 | 70 |
| Texas | $58,910 | $56,600 | 460 |
| Utah | $69,450 | $67,910 | 50 |
| Virginia | $67,710 | $63,920 | 80 |
| West Virginia | $53,890 | $49,630 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $58,040 | $52,400 | 60 |
| Wyoming | $81,720 | $85,070 | 60 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$59,490
180 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$103,540
120 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make?
The average is $66,640 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $61,390 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $32.04, and the median is $29.51 an hour.
Which state pays explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters the most?
New York, with an average of $99,420 a year. The best-paying metro area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $103,540.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $40,480 a year, and the top 10% earn over $99,360.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2021–May 2025), occupation code 47-5032. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.