Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salary
In New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn $100,520 at the median, or about $48.33 an hour. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $123K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $89,303 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 47% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $101K actually covers in New York-Newark-Jersey City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
New York-Newark-Jersey City sits well above the national pay line for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters, local pay runs about 64% 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 $2,910/month, which is 47.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $123K or more, a $40K 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 with published data
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 annually. We'll email you when New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
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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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 47.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,246/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Local pay is 64% above the national median — $101K here vs. $61K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 13% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +64%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $100,520 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $83,200, and experienced explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters can clear $123,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,177/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 47.1% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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 $89,303 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.