Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
47-5032.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$61,390
Employment, U.S.5,100
Median hourly wage$29.51
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,480 | $49,630 | $61,390 | $80,370 | $99,360 |
By state (32)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 100 | $59,820 | 1.40 |
| Arkansas | 90 | $53,120 | 2.20 |
| California | 220 | $80,370 | 0.37 |
| Colorado | 140 | $69,640 | 1.44 |
| Florida | 90 | $69,780 | 0.27 |
| Georgia | 70 | $61,480 | 0.45 |
| Hawaii | 110 | $64,560 | 5.12 |
| Idaho | $60,360 | ||
| Illinois | 110 | $60,520 | 0.56 |
| Indiana | 330 | $59,110 | 3.18 |
| Iowa | 90 | $39,520 | 1.78 |
| Kentucky | 380 | $50,360 | 5.83 |
| Louisiana | 130 | $39,900 | 2.01 |
| Maryland | $59,720 | ||
| Mississippi | 40 | $47,060 | 1.16 |
| Missouri | 150 | $64,040 | 1.53 |
| Nevada | 260 | $60,500 | 5.19 |
| New Jersey | $100,520 | ||
| New Mexico | 80 | $78,960 | 2.97 |
| New York | $96,940 | ||
| North Carolina | 160 | $85,630 | 0.96 |
| Ohio | 120 | $46,630 | 0.67 |
| Oklahoma | 330 | $55,180 | 5.98 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,400 | ||
| South Dakota | $56,780 | ||
| Tennessee | 70 | $74,190 | 0.65 |
| Texas | 460 | $56,600 | 0.99 |
| Utah | 50 | $67,910 | 0.96 |
| Virginia | 80 | $63,920 | 0.58 |
| West Virginia | 50 | $49,630 | 2.31 |
| Wisconsin | 60 | $52,400 | 0.65 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $85,070 | 6.27 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 1-2 | 0.960 |
| 2 | Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | 1-2 | 0.958 |
| 3 | Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | 1-2 | 0.956 |
| 4 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 1-2 | 0.955 |
| 5 | Gas Plant Operators | 1-2 | 0.955 |
| 6 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 1-2 | 0.953 |
| 7 | Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 8 | Weatherization Installers and Technicians | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 9 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | 3 | 0.952 |
| 10 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 1-2 | 0.952 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | Repairing | 0.87 | 0.955 |
| Weatherization Installers and Technicians | Installation | 2.88 | 0.952 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | Quality Control Analysis | 1.25 | 0.952 |
| Biomass Plant Technicians | Equipment Maintenance | 0.87 | 0.946 |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.939 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairers | Repairing | 1.00 | 0.939 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, excluding software Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software | 5 of 20 | 3.7x |
| Work scheduling software | 3 of 20 | 5.5x |
| SAP software | 10 of 20 | 1.6x |
| Database software | 4 of 20 | 1.1x |
| Email software | 5 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft Windows | 3 of 20 | 0.6x |
| Web browser software | 6 of 20 | 0.6x |
| Microsoft Access | 3 of 20 | 0.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.38 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.62 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.38 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety and Security | 4.13 | 4.67 |
| Law and Government | 3.96 | 4.00 |
| Mathematics | 3.71 | 4.04 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.33 | 3.88 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.17 | 3.88 |
| Administration and Management | 3.17 | 3.57 |
| Transportation | 3.17 | 3.38 |
| English Language | 3.09 | 3.04 |
| Mechanical | 3.00 | 4.00 |
| Production and Processing | 3.00 | 3.67 |
| Administrative | 2.91 | 3.52 |
| Design | 2.83 | 3.08 |
| Education and Training | 2.67 | 3.33 |
| Building and Construction | 2.61 | 2.91 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.61 | 2.83 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.57 | 3.17 |
| Chemistry | 2.38 | 2.96 |
| Physics | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.35 | 2.09 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.26 | 2.59 |
| Geography | 1.96 | 1.78 |
| Psychology | 1.92 | 2.00 |
| Communications and Media | 1.78 | 1.43 |
| Telecommunications | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.54 | 1.04 |
| History and Archeology | 1.43 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.38 | 0.88 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.38 | 0.83 |
| Biology | 1.35 | 0.87 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.33 | 0.67 |
| Foreign Language | 1.26 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.08 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.04 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Dexterity | 4.00 | 4.13 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 4.13 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Information Ordering | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Oral Expression | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Reaction Time | 3.63 | 4.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.63 | 3.50 |
| Control Precision | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Selective Attention | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Depth Perception | 3.38 | 3.13 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.25 | 3.63 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.25 | 2.88 |
| Far Vision | 3.13 | 3.50 |
| Visualization | 3.13 | 3.38 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.13 | 2.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Rate Control | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Written Expression | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.63 | 3.00 |
| Response Orientation | 2.63 | 2.88 |
| Number Facility | 2.63 | 2.38 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.63 | 2.25 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.38 | 2.63 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Stamina | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Memorization | 2.13 | 2.00 |
| Sound Localization | 2.13 | 1.88 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.13 | 1.88 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.38 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.25 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- ESRI ArcGIS software hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator
- Datavis DBS Designer
- DetNet ViewShot
- Global positioning system GPS software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 180 | 1.71 | $55,830 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 120 | 0.38 | $100,520 |