Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salary
In Colorado, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn $69,640 at the median, or about $33.48 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $67,149 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 39.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $70K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
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What this looks like in Colorado
Colorado sits well above the national pay line for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,832/month, which is 40.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters salary by metro in Colorado
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $70K | +1% | 80 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 40.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,643/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Colorado?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $70K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters?
Colorado pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make in Colorado?
The median is $69,640 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,870, and experienced explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters can clear $91,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,526/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 40.5% 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 Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters salary is worth about $67,149 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.