Shot blaster vs explosives engineer

The differences between shot blasters and explosives engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a shot blaster and an explosives engineer. Additionally, an explosives engineer has an average salary of $56,441, which is higher than the $48,815 average annual salary of a shot blaster.

Shot blaster vs explosives engineer overview

	Shot Blaster	Explosives Engineer
Yearly salary	$48,815	$56,441
Hourly rate	$23.47	$27.14
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	203	518
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	4	4

Shot blaster vs explosives engineer salary

Shot blasters and explosives engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Shot Blaster	Explosives Engineer
Average salary	$48,815	$56,441
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $99,000	Between $37,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between shot blaster and explosives engineer education

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

	Shot Blaster	Explosives Engineer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Shot blaster vs explosives engineer demographics

Here are the differences between shot blasters' and explosives engineers' demographics:

	Shot Blaster	Explosives Engineer
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1%	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 0.9% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between shot blaster and explosives engineer duties and responsibilities

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.

Explosives engineer example responsibilities.

Blast rail freight cars with steel grit to achieve require blast profile per paint specifications or customer's request.
Require to know and follow OHSA, MSHA, ATF and state/Federal regulations.
Compile post blast report for ATF, MSHA to insure blasting guidelines are met.
Train personnel to perform basic demolition, mine clearing, combat construction operations, and treat wound soldiers.
Stabilize rock walls and slopes using rock bolts, split sets and blasting techniques for CDOT and various mines.
Operate and monitor light and heavy engineer combat vehicles and heavy equipment.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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