Explosives Workers
Set off explosives to demolish structures or rock.
Quick Facts
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This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Wages & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Explosives Workers most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Explosives Workers place and set off explosives to demolish structures, loosen earth, or remove rock. They may perform specialized handling, storage, and accounting procedures.
Physical Demands
This career requires good eyesight and time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Record operational or environmental data.
- Clean equipment or facilities.
- Load materials into construction equipment.
- Pour materials into or on designated areas.
- Assemble products or production equipment.
- Collect geological samples.
- Cut carpet, vinyl or other flexible materials.
- Drill holes in earth or rock.
- Mark reference points on construction materials.
- Position construction or extraction equipment.
Typical Working Conditions
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Working outdoors exposed to weather.
- Exposure to hazardous conditions.
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Exposure to contaminants (like gases or odors).
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Working with a group or team.
- Making decisions that impact co-workers or company results.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
High School or less
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
Less than high school diploma | 14.7 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 38.4 |
Some college, no degree | 21.3 |
Associate degree | 9.9 |
Bachelors degree | 14.2 |
Masters degree | 1.4 |
Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 0 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- Less than 5 years related work experience for entry.
- Long-term on-the-job training to become competent.
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Accounting
- Algebra I and II
- Blueprint Reading
- Business Computer Applications
- CAD Design
- Drafting
- Electronics
- Geometry
- Physics
- Technical Writing
- Trigonometry
- Woodworking
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Explosives Workers
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Teaching—Teaching others how to do something.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Managing People—Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Managing Time—Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Explosives Workers
- Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Engineering and Technology—Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Production and Processing—Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Investigative—Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Making decisions or solving problems.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Documenting or recording information.
- Evaluating information to determine compliance with standards.
- Performing general physical abilities.
- Handling and moving objects.
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to find or fix problems.
- Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Explosives Workers.
View more careers in the Architecture and Construction cluster
View more careers in the Natural Resources Systems pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
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Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Explosive Technician,
Powderman,
Blaster,
Unexploded Ordnance Quality Control Officer
Where Do Explosives Workers Work?
Explosives Workers often work in the following industries.
Similar Careers
Below are careers that use skill sets that are similar to Explosives Workers.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.