Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Wages
SOC 47-5032 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters is $61,590 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $42,670 and the 90th percentile is $89,400, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
4,610
P10
$42,670
P25
$49,710
Median
$61,590
P75
$79,580
P90
$89,400
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $61,590 | $65,600 | $42,670 | $89,400 | 4,610 | — |
| 2022 | $56,670 | $61,560 | $40,510 | $88,520 | 4,710 | -7.99% |
| 2021 | $53,040 | $57,070 | $36,880 | $79,320 | 5,370 | -6.41% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters. The highest median is in Tennessee at $87,340, 42% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $87,340 | +41.8% | $85,720 | 160 |
| Illinois | $86,400 | +40.3% | $81,980 | — |
| Massachusetts | $85,700 | +39.1% | $84,590 | — |
| Nevada | $82,600 | +34.1% | $85,910 | 130 |
| Florida | $79,730 | +29.5% | $74,980 | 110 |
| Oregon | $79,380 | +28.9% | $71,600 | 50 |
| Wyoming | $78,650 | +27.7% | $76,740 | 60 |
| New Mexico | $78,420 | +27.3% | $80,270 | 90 |
| California | $77,010 | +25% | $74,020 | 230 |
| Washington | $76,940 | +24.9% | $79,410 | — |
| Virginia | $75,640 | +22.8% | $80,150 | 50 |
| Minnesota | $75,190 | +22.1% | $75,940 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $73,570 | +19.5% | $74,370 | 130 |
| Montana | $70,840 | +15% | $74,430 | 50 |
| Colorado | $65,440 | +6.3% | $68,230 | 130 |
| Maryland | $64,630 | +4.9% | $69,850 | 90 |
| Alabama | $64,250 | +4.3% | $68,400 | 100 |
| Ohio | $63,960 | +3.8% | $66,950 | 100 |
| North Carolina | $62,280 | +1.1% | $70,420 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $61,250 | -0.6% | $69,990 | 60 |
| Indiana | $59,720 | -3% | $66,640 | 430 |
| Utah | $59,200 | -3.9% | $63,720 | 60 |
| Iowa | $58,260 | -5.4% | $57,000 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,920 | -9.2% | $59,470 | 150 |
| West Virginia | $53,690 | -12.8% | $55,620 | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $53,500 | -13.1% | $51,880 | 380 |
| Missouri | $52,610 | -14.6% | $58,770 | 230 |
| Kentucky | $51,520 | -16.4% | $51,390 | 230 |
| Texas | $51,020 | -17.2% | $62,440 | 260 |
| Arkansas | $49,650 | -19.4% | $54,610 | 130 |
| Georgia | $47,490 | -22.9% | $55,670 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $42,020 | -31.8% | $43,690 | 90 |
| Michigan | $42,010 | -31.8% | $48,090 | 120 |
| Kansas | $41,480 | -32.7% | $42,590 | 30 |
| Alaska | — | — | — | 30 |