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Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters vs Helpers--Extraction Workers

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters and Helpers--Extraction Workers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Helpers--Extraction Workers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$59,110
$48,400
Employment · BLS OEWS
5,680
6,720
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
6th pct
4th pct

At a glance

Dimension Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters Helpers--Extraction Workers
Median pay $59,110 $48,400
Employment 5,680 6,720
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection Declining (-0.9%) Declining (-1.7%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 500 700
Typical education · O*NET Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
AI exposure · published exposure studies Low · 6th pct Low · 4th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk — 4th pct · 11% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index — —
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman — No

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: Problem Sensitivity, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Active Listening, Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Monitoring, Finger Dexterity, Mathematics, Multilimb Coordination, Reaction Time, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Control Precision, Selective Attention, Depth Perception, Perceptual Speed, Transportation, Visualization, Far Vision.

Specific to Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Inductive Reasoning
  • Oral Expression
  • Visual Color Discrimination
  • Speaking
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Time Management

Specific to Helpers--Extraction Workers

  • Mechanical
  • Static Strength
  • English Language
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Trunk Strength
  • Troubleshooting
  • Repairing
  • Rate Control

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software .

Specific to Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

Specific to Helpers--Extraction Workers

    Full profiles

    This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters or Helpers--Extraction Workers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

    More comparisons

    Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

    Sources for this page

    Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

    Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

    Cite this page
    Plain

    Singulariki. "Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters vs Helpers--Extraction Workers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/explosives-workers-ordnance-handling-experts-and-blasters-vs-helpers-extraction-workers

    APA

    Singulariki. (2026). Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters vs Helpers--Extraction Workers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/explosives-workers-ordnance-handling-experts-and-blasters-vs-helpers-extraction-workers

    BibTeX 
    @misc{singulariki-explosives-workers-ordnance-handling-experts-and-blasters-vs-helpers-extraction-workers,
  title  = {Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters vs Helpers--Extraction Workers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/explosives-workers-ordnance-handling-experts-and-blasters-vs-helpers-extraction-workers}
}

    Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.