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Salary comparison

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters vs. Construction Laborers: Who Earns More?

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss out-earn Construction Laborerss by $14K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss land at $61,390 and Construction Laborerss at $47,120. The education gap is real: explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while construction laborer programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss is New Jersey ($100,520); for Construction Laborerss it's Hawaii ($77,110).

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Construction Laborers
Median salary
$61,390
$47,120
Hourly rate
$29.51/hr
$22.66/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$40,480
$35,090
Senior level (90th %)
$99,360
$78,090
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
5,100
1,096,780
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
7.3%
Category
Construction & Trades
Construction & Trades
Top-paying state
New Jersey
Hawaii

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters median pay.

State
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Construction Laborers
New Jersey
$100,520
$64,060
New York
$96,940
$55,930
Pennsylvania
$84,400
$49,400
California
$80,370
$60,270
Colorado
$69,640
$47,900
Hawaii
$64,560
$77,110
Missouri
$64,040
$56,730
Illinois
$60,520
$60,690
Nevada
$60,500
$48,990
Idaho
$60,360
$46,940
Maryland
$59,720
$46,960
Indiana
$59,110
$50,070
Wisconsin
$52,400
$56,100
Ohio
$46,630
$56,080
Iowa
$39,520
$48,490

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss or Construction Laborerss?

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss earn more nationally. The median is $61,390 for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss versus $47,120 for Construction Laborerss, a difference of $14K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters or Construction Laborers?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters or Construction Laborers?

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Construction Laborers requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss get paid the most?

New Jersey is the top-paying state for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss at $100,520/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters vs. Construction Laborers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In New Jersey, Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss earn $100,520 vs. $64,060 for Construction Laborerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters salary breakdownView →Full Construction Laborers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasterss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Construction Laborerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blastersGuide →How to become a construction laborersGuide →