Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
SOC 47-5097 • View wages by state
The median annual wage for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters is $48,510, based on BLS OEWS 2020 data. The mean annual wage is $51,040, and an estimated 22,540 workers are employed in this occupation nationally.
Highest-Paying Areas (2020)
Where Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $48,510. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, LA | $98,340 | +102.7% | — |
| Fairbanks, AK | $68,330 | +40.9% | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $66,590 | +37.3% | 190 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $66,350 | +36.8% | 220 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $64,830 | +33.6% | 100 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $63,290 | +30.5% | 40 |
| Alaska | $61,990 | +27.8% | 420 |
| Wyoming | $61,810 | +27.4% | 230 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $61,090 | +25.9% | 260 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $60,900 | +25.5% | 60 |
Wage Distribution (National, 2020)
10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.
10th Pct
$33,440
25th Pct
$39,690
Median
$48,510
75th Pct
$60,190
90th Pct
$73,650
Related Occupations in Construction & Extraction
Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.