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Explosive specialist vs shot blaster

The differences between explosive specialists and shot blasters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an explosive specialist and a shot blaster. Additionally, a shot blaster has an average salary of $48,815, which is higher than the $48,554 average annual salary of an explosive specialist.

Explosive specialist vs shot blaster overview

Explosive SpecialistShot Blaster
Yearly salary$48,554$48,815
Hourly rate$23.34$23.47
Growth rate3%4%
Number of jobs1,090203
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%High School Diploma, 78%
Average age2828
Years of experience44

Explosive specialist vs shot blaster salary

Explosive specialists and shot blasters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Explosive SpecialistShot Blaster
Average salary$48,554$48,815
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $92,000Between $24,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between explosive specialist and shot blaster education

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

Explosive SpecialistShot Blaster
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%High School Diploma, 78%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Explosive specialist vs shot blaster demographics

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

Explosive SpecialistShot Blaster
Average age2828
Gender ratioMale, 80.7% Female, 19.3%Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.9% Asian, 1.7% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 1.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, -1.1%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between explosive specialist and shot blaster duties and responsibilities

Explosive specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead smoke generating squads, supervise reconnaissance and decontamination operation, and serve as company NBC NCO.
  • Transport demolition explosives and equipment to authorize disposal areas.
  • Develop and implement training procedures and strategies for radiological protection, detection, and decontamination.
  • Assist training units with incorporating teams into their battle rhythm, utilizing the latest CIED, and TTPs for battle areas.
  • Provide security for VIP in support of federal law enforcement.

Shot blaster example responsibilities.

  • Blast rail freight cars with steel grit to achieve require blast profile per paint specifications or customer's request.
  • Deliver hands on training for current employees and new hires to increase awareness of and compliance with OSHA and state regulations.
  • Sandblast trailers, wash and clean trailers prep trailers for painting booth.

Explosive specialist vs shot blaster skills

Common explosive specialist skills
  • Radiological, 35%
  • Hazardous Materials, 16%
  • Response Operations, 12%
  • Vulnerability Assessments, 10%
  • Local Law Enforcement, 9%
  • Maintenance Procedures, 9%
Common shot blaster skills

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