How To Become A Blasting Machine Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a blasting machine operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a blasting machine operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.96 an hour? That's $31,116 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 32,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreBlasting Machine OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $31,116

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.27%

Asian 2.55%

Black or African American 9.24%

Hispanic or Latino 16.02%

Unknown 3.67%

White 67.25%

Gender

female 8.02%

male 91.98%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a blasting machine operator

Explore blasting machine operator education requirements

Most common blasting machine operator degrees

High School Diploma

62.7 %

Associate

14.9 %

Bachelor's

9.0 %

Start to develop specific blasting machine operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Basic Math	76.22%
Hand Tools	5.22%
Blast Machine	5.19%
Cranes	4.51%
Grit	4.07%

Complete relevant blasting machine operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New blasting machine operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a blasting machine operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real blasting machine operator resumes.

Research blasting machine operator duties and responsibilities

Assure that the proper abrasive metal, grit, metal shoot, seed, glass bead etc.
Utilize up to three 30 ton roof cranes simultaneously to safely maneuver girders weighing up to 82 tons.
Record statistics on ISO documentation, and coordinate with machine technicians and electrical technicians to keep machines operating at maximum efficiency.
Operate industrial paint vats, cross train on overhead cab crane and heat treat.

Prepare your blasting machine operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your blasting machine operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a blasting machine operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable blasting machine operator resume templates

Build a professional blasting machine operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your blasting machine operator resume.