Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salary
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn $86,900 at the median, or about $41.78 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.35), that's roughly $89,266 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,686/month, about 30.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $87K get you in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia’s Regional Price Parity (97.35). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
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What this looks like in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia sits well above the national pay line for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters, local pay runs about 42% higher than the U.S. median of $61K. Rent runs $1,686/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Entry-level explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $87K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $101K | +64% | N/A |
| New York | $97K | +58% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $86K | +39% | 160 |
| Wyoming | $85K | +39% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $84K | +37% | N/A |
| California | $80K | +31% | 220 |
| New Mexico | $79K | +29% | 80 |
| Tennessee | $74K | +21% | 70 |
| Florida | $70K | +14% | 90 |
| Colorado | $70K | +13% | 140 |
| Utah | $68K | +11% | 50 |
| Hawaii | $65K | +5% | 110 |
| Missouri | $64K | +4% | 150 |
| Virginia | $64K | +4% | 80 |
| Georgia | $61K | +0% | 70 |
| Illinois | $61K | -1% | 110 |
| Nevada | $61K | -1% | 260 |
| Idaho | $60K | -2% | N/A |
| Alabama | $60K | -3% | 100 |
| Maryland | $60K | -3% | N/A |
| Indiana | $59K | -4% | 330 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -8% | N/A |
| Texas | $57K | -8% | 460 |
| Oklahoma | $55K | -10% | 330 |
| Arkansas | $53K | -13% | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $52K | -15% | 60 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -18% | 380 |
| West Virginia | $50K | -19% | 50 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -23% | 40 |
| Ohio | $47K | -24% | 120 |
| Louisiana | $40K | -35% | 130 |
| Iowa | $40K | -36% | 90 |
Showing 1–10 of 32 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $87K, rent takes 30.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,686/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,899/month. At HUD’s $1,686/month FMR, rent would take 43% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster a high-paying job in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Local pay is 42% above the national median — $87K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia compare to the national average for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays $87K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +42%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The median is $86,900 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,990, and experienced explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters can clear $102,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $87K enough to live in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,467/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,686/month, which eats 30.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters salary go in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia has a Regional Price Parity of 97.35 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters salary is worth about $89,266 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.