Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Salary
In Texas, explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters earn $56,600 at the median, or about $27.21 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $61,865 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 36% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $57K get you in Texas?
About explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
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What this looks like in Texas
Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 35.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $47K spread from bottom to top.
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters salary by metro in Texas
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $63K | +11% | 50 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $56K | -1% | 180 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $45K | -20% | 90 |
Compare to other states
Track explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blaster afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 35.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,197/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters?
Texas pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters make in Texas?
The median is $56,600 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,620, and experienced explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters can clear $83,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,960/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 35.7% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $61,865 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.