Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salary
In Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn $45,180 at the median, or about $21.72 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $89K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $43,826 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,931/month, about 59.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Pay for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,931/month, which is 60.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters in metros near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $56K | $57K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $63K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $89K or more, a $57K 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 60.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,920/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 101% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $45K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $45,180 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,000, and experienced explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters can clear $89,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,195/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 60.4% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (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 $43,826 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.