Also called: Explosives Workers and Blasters
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters build judgment and decision making, operations monitoring and operation and control skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (82%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 82% | $59,850 | −3% | None |
| 2 | Hoist and Winch Operators | 81% | $56,450 | −8% | None |
| 3 | Pile Driver Operators | 79% | $73,300 | +19% | None |
| 4 | Locomotive Engineers | 78% | $81,410 | +33% | None |
| 5 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 78% | $49,450 | −19% | None |
| 6 | Riggers | 77% | $62,640 | +2% | None |
| 7 | Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | 77% | $61,770 | +1% | None |
| 8 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 76% | $68,840 | +12% | None |
| 9 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 76% | $60,600 | −1% | None |
| 10 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | 75% | $62,780 | +2% | None |
Compared with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, median $61,390. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
82% skill match · $59,850 · −3% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Operation and Control
81% skill match · $56,450 · −8% pay
Repairing · Equipment Maintenance · Equipment Selection
79% skill match · $73,300 · +19% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Operation and Control
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (82% skill match, median $59,850), Hoist and Winch Operators (81% skill match, median $56,450) and Pile Driver Operators (79% skill match, median $73,300), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 10 pay more than explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+58%, $96,710), Gas Plant Operators (+43%, $87,820) and Locomotive Engineers (+33%, $81,410).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.