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Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$59110	500	-0.9%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$59110

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

500

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-0.9%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Detailed Work Activities

Develop equipment or component configurations.
Record operational or environmental data.
Remove debris or vegetation from work sites.
Drill holes in earth or rock.
Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
Determine operational compliance with regulations or standards.
Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
Prepare explosives for detonation.
Position safety or support equipment.
Direct construction or extraction personnel.
Operate detonation equipment.
Pour materials into or on designated areas.
Mark reference points on construction materials.
Measure work site dimensions.
Assemble products or production equipment.
Position construction or extraction equipment.
Monitor extraction operations.
Move materials, equipment, or supplies.
Stock supplies or merchandise.
Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
Cut carpet, vinyl or other flexible materials.
Order construction or extraction materials or equipment.
Maintain extraction or excavation equipment.
Operate communications equipment or systems.
Load materials into construction equipment.
Clean equipment or facilities.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signal workers as necessary to ensure that they clear blast sites prior to explosions.
Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
Insert, pack, and pour explosives, such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder, or slurries into blast holes; then shovel drill cuttings, admit water into boreholes, and tamp material to compact charges.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Light fuses, drop detonating devices into wells or boreholes, or activate firing devices with plungers, dials, or buttons, in order to set off single or multiple blasts.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns.
Document geological formations encountered during work.
Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, and drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Signal crane operators to move equipment.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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