Description
Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials. May perform specialized handling, storage, and accounting procedures.
Interests
- Realistic
- Conventional
- Investigative
Work Values
- Support
- Independence
- Working Conditions
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Stress Tolerance
Tasks
- Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
- Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
- Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signal workers as necessary to ensure that they clear blast sites prior to explosions.
- Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
- Insert, pack, and pour explosives, such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder, or slurries into blast holes; then shovel drill cuttings, admit water into boreholes, and tamp material to compact charges.
Work Activities
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Getting Information
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Performing General Physical Activities
Detailed Work Activities
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Technology Skills
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Geographic information system
- Electronic mail software
Abilities
- Manual Dexterity
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Deductive Reasoning
Skills
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Operation and Control
Knowledge
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Certified Demolition SupervisorCertifying Organization
National Demolition Association
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
Certified Demolition SupervisorCertifying Organization
National Demolition Association
Type
Advanced
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $44,485 |
| Median (50%) | $54,551 |
| High (90%) | $64,781 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $57,813 |
| Mid Level | $54,742 |
| Senior Level | N/A |
| Expert Level | N/A |
Employability
There are currently 4,800 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 4,800 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 1%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 1%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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