Measure each drilled hole
Lower a weighted tape into each hole for its depth, and match hole positions to the drill plan.
Career profile
Blaster or Explosives Worker
Blasters set off explosives to break up rock or bring down structures.
Quarry blasting aims for rock pieces the crusher can handle. That takes thorough prep, warnings anyone understands, and a crew that knows when to stop.
A day in the life
Load and fire the blast
Set charges in the spots chosen in advance, and fire the blast when the area is ready.
Clear people from the area
You put up barriers and give warning signals so other workers stay out of the blast zone.
Balance the explosives log
Record explosive used and still in storage, then check the log and look into any unexplained gap.
Check ground vibration readings
In certain quarry roles, you review ground-vibration monitor data to judge effects past the broken rock.
Quick facts
High school diploma or equivalent
United States
$61,390/year
United States · May 2025
0% employment change
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school diploma or equivalentA typical starting point; blasting also requires job-specific training and demonstrated competence.
Pay
$61,390/yearNational median, or $29.51/hour, for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters.
Outlook
0% employment changeAbout 400 openings a year projected across the same occupation group.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like checking measurements against a plan.
- You can give clear instructions and speak up about a mismatch.
- You stay attentive during repetitive checks.
Things to weigh
- Expect outdoor weather, loud equipment, and time standing or bending.
- Errors can injure others or damage nearby property. Weather can also halt work; an approaching electrical storm can stop construction blasting.
Where AI may help
Digital tools can combine rock surveys, blast designs, and monitoring results. Some quarry crews already use laser measurements and electronic blasting systems.
What people still lead
You still have to recognize an unsafe condition and communicate what the crew must do. A digital plan does not establish that the site is ready.
What we can’t predict yet
How much design checking will become automated remains uncertain, especially when the actual ground differs from the model.
Pay in context
Earnings
These national figures cover explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters together, including specialties beyond commercial rock blasting.
Median and national spread
The median was $61,390 a year, or $29.51 an hour. The 10th-to-90th-percentile range was $40,480–$99,360 annually, or $19.46–$47.77 hourly. Those are wage-distribution points, not starting and senior pay grades.
Openings despite flat employment
Employment is projected to change by 0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings annually. Openings can arise as people leave the occupation even when its total size stays level.
Getting started
Join a contractor's field crew
- What the route involves
- Look for laborer or driller-trainee work with a blasting contractor that provides mentoring and blaster training.
- What it can lead to
- You can build field experience toward a blasting role while learning how drilling and blasting fit together.
- What to check
- A trainee title does not authorize explosives handling. Construction employers must use qualified, authorized workers and experienced supervision; selection requirements vary by job.
Build toward federal surface-coal certification
- What the route involves
- Combine work with a certified blaster and classroom training. For initial federal certification, document two years of relevant experience within the preceding three years.
- What it can lead to
- After eligibility review, you can take the written certification examination.
- What to check
- Applicants must be at least 21 and meet conduct requirements. This is a surface-coal route with a specific jurisdiction.
Start by identifying the kind of blasting you want to learn. Training and legal requirements depend on the work and its location.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Become dependable on site
Get consistent at site preparation and accurate blast and inventory records.
Learn to read the ground
Build skill interpreting rock-face surveys and borehole tracking so you can spot differences between the plan and the drilled site.
Lead or specialize
With the required qualifications, work toward leading a blasting crew. Another direction is deeper skill in vibration monitoring and blast evaluation.
Where you can work
Quarries
Your blast helps produce rock for crushing. Survey information, hole tracking, and vibration monitoring can connect your crew's work with the quarry's longer-term excavation plan.
- Outdoors
- Field work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Construction projects
You may clear rock for a foundation or highway. Existing buildings, roads, and utilities can constrain the work and require extra precautions against flying fragments.
- Outdoors
- Field work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Surface coal mines
Blasting breaks the rock above coal so excavation equipment can remove it. Nearby residents, warning schedules, and limits on vibration are part of the working setting.
- Outdoors
- Field work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Try a paper-only inventory check: invent an opening stock count, a delivery, an amount used, and a closing count, then plant one mismatch. Write the question you would ask before signing the log. Notice whether you enjoy finding and explaining the discrepancy.
Stay safe: Use imaginary numbers only; do not obtain or handle explosives or blasting equipment.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters — 47-5032.00. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates — SOC 47-5032; supplied pinned binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — SOC 47-5032; supplied pinned binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1926.900 — General provisions. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1926.901 — Blaster qualifications. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. OSMRE Blaster Certification. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Blasting. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Maine Drilling & Blasting. Careers at Maine Drilling and Blasting. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Maine Drilling & Blasting. Drilling and Blasting for Quarries. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Maine Drilling & Blasting. Our Expertise. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Orica. Digital Solutions. Accessed 2026-10-09.