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Blaster vs explosive ordnance specialist

The differences between blasters and explosive ordnance specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a blaster and an explosive ordnance specialist. Additionally, an explosive ordnance specialist has an average salary of $44,028, which is higher than the $41,789 average annual salary of a blaster.

The top three skills for a blaster include CDL, hand tools and ATF. The most important skills for an explosive ordnance specialist are government agencies, federal agencies, and explosive ordnance.

Blaster vs explosive ordnance specialist overview

BlasterExplosive Ordnance Specialist
Yearly salary$41,789$44,028
Hourly rate$20.09$21.17
Growth rate1%-
Number of jobs2191,078
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age2828
Years of experience44

Blaster vs explosive ordnance specialist salary

Blasters and explosive ordnance specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

BlasterExplosive Ordnance Specialist
Average salary$41,789$44,028
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $67,000Between $23,000 And $81,000
Highest paying CityNewport News, VA-
Highest paying stateVirginia-
Best paying companySiemens-
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between blaster and explosive ordnance specialist education

There are a few differences between a blaster and an explosive ordnance specialist in terms of educational background:

BlasterExplosive Ordnance Specialist
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorBusinessGeneral Studies
Most common college--

Blaster vs explosive ordnance specialist demographics

Here are the differences between blasters' and explosive ordnance specialists' demographics:

BlasterExplosive Ordnance Specialist
Average age2828
Gender ratioMale, 95.3% Female, 4.7%Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 1.1% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, -0.8%Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 25.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, -0.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between blaster and explosive ordnance specialist duties and responsibilities

Blaster example responsibilities.

  • Blast rail freight cars with steel grit to achieve require blast profile per paint specifications or customer's request.
  • Blast paint off of aluminum wheels in cabinet.
  • Lead foreman - run pipe sandblasting crew on site at oil field refineries.
  • Operate bobcat, emulsion, truck, and other equipment necessary to blasting.
  • Transport sand and run a three man crew to keep things on a tight schedule.
  • Mentore and train international employees on policies and regulations regarding ammunition and explosives resulting in expanding foreign networking.
  • Show more

Explosive ordnance specialist example responsibilities.

  • Prepare and maintain EOD tools, equipment, and vehicles.
  • Identify various ordnance and ammunition items.
  • Formulate plans to safely and effectively destroy ammunition for emergency detonation.
  • Develop and implement training procedures and strategies for radiological protection, detection, and decontamination.
  • Respond to calls from military/combat personnel.

Blaster vs explosive ordnance specialist skills

Common blaster skills
  • CDL, 25%
  • Hand Tools, 14%
  • ATF, 8%
  • Fall Protection, 6%
  • Blast Equipment, 6%
  • Grit, 5%
Common explosive ordnance specialist skills
  • Government Agencies, 18%
  • Federal Agencies, 14%
  • Explosive Ordnance, 13%
  • Improvised Explosive Devices, 12%
  • EOD, 11%
  • VIP, 10%

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