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Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters in Puerto Rico

Considering working as an Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters in Puerto Rico? Below are the key facts. 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.

What do Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Make in Puerto Rico?

The explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters working in Puerto Rico, the median annual wage is $28,870 per year (or roughly $13.88/hour).Pay can range from $20,310 at the 10th percentile to $30,790 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$20,310	$9.76
25th percentile	$20,310	$9.76
Median (50th)	$28,870	$13.88
75th percentile	$30,590	$14.71
90th percentile	$30,790	$14.80

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Puerto Rico compared to the national average — is 0.98.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn a median of $44,277 per year ($21.29/hour), below the Puerto Rico median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 731,332 explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters in the U.S.. In Puerto Rico alone, about 30 people work in this role. That’s below the typical state, which employs around 100 explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters.

Top States for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Employment

The table below shows the states where the most explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters work.

State	Number Employed
Maryland	770
Indiana	420
Nevada	340
Oklahoma	340
Missouri	240
Kentucky	200
California	180
Georgia	180
Virginia	150
Illinois	130
Tennessee	120
Arkansas	110
Louisiana	110
West Virginia	110
Iowa	100
Pennsylvania	90
Colorado	90
Florida	90
Ohio	80
Alabama	80

Highest-Paying States for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

Where explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn the most: explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters.

State	Annual Median Salary
New York	$104,320
Tennessee	$102,060
Connecticut	$101,020
Maryland	$93,550
California	$87,110
Wyoming	$86,740
Florida	$84,520
New Mexico	$84,050
Illinois	$82,710
Hawaii	$77,460

Skills

The most important explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters typically:

• 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.

Work Activities

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Getting Information
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Training and Teaching Others
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Related college programs include:

• Ground Transportation
• Plumbing & Water Supply

Related Careers

Related occupations to explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters include:

• Construction Laborers
• Pile Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
• Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas

Also Known As

Aircraft Ordnance Technician, Ammunition and Explosives Handler, Blast Driller, Blast Hole Driller, Blast Setter, Blast Technician, Blaster, Blasting Clay Miner, Blasting Coal Miner, Blasting Contract Man, Blasting Contract Miner, Blasting Entry Specialist, Blasting Entryman, Blasting Gang Miner, Blasting Miner.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-5032.00