Average Salary for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
SOC 47-5097 · Construction and Extraction Occupations · 2020 data
The median annual wage for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters in the United States is $48,510 ($23.32/hr), based on 2020 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $33,440 at the 10th percentile to $73,650 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 22,540 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 4.9% since 2019.
Median Annual
$48,510
Mean Annual
$51,040
10th Pct
$33,440
75th Pct
$60,190
Employment
22,540
Salary Distribution
$33k
10th
$40k
25th
$49k
Median
$60k
75th
$74k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Lafayette, LA | $98,340 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $68,330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,590 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $66,350 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $64,830 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $63,290 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $61,090 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $60,900 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | $60,830 |
| Rochester, MN | $60,670 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $60,000 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $59,950 |
| Columbus, OH | $59,470 |
| Anchorage, AK | $59,150 |
| Billings, MT | $58,830 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $61,990 |
| Wyoming | $61,810 |
| Louisiana | $60,490 |
| Illinois | $60,190 |
| Massachusetts | $57,550 |
| New York | $56,180 |
| Washington | $55,790 |
| New Hampshire | $55,220 |
| Minnesota | $54,660 |
| New Mexico | $54,360 |
| Arizona | $53,590 |
| Kansas | $53,560 |
| Utah | $52,940 |
| Delaware | $52,910 |
| North Carolina | $52,280 |
| California | $51,740 |
| Colorado | $51,590 |
| Idaho | $51,580 |
| New Jersey | $51,280 |
| Oregon | $50,970 |
| Wisconsin | $50,440 |
| Nevada | $50,070 |
| Guam | $49,490 |
| Maryland | $48,860 |
| North Dakota | $48,000 |
| Virginia | $48,000 |
| Kentucky | $47,920 |
| Mississippi | $47,670 |
| Connecticut | $47,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,240 |
| Ohio | $47,170 |
| Indiana | $46,810 |
| Iowa | $46,780 |
| Michigan | $46,320 |
| Missouri | $45,950 |
| Montana | $45,770 |
| Oklahoma | $45,650 |
| Texas | $45,290 |
| Tennessee | $44,800 |
| Vermont | $44,450 |
| West Virginia | $43,430 |
| Arkansas | $43,200 |
| Nebraska | $42,780 |
| Florida | $42,590 |
| Alabama | $39,890 |
| South Carolina | $39,500 |
| Maine | $38,360 |
| Georgia | $37,550 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,930 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas; and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters broken down by industry sector, 2020 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $62,920 |
| Coal Mining | $62,910 |
| Repair and Maintenance | $62,750 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | $62,640 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | $58,870 |
| Facilities Support Services | $58,170 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | $57,000 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $56,600 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $56,600 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $55,740 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $55,740 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $55,730 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $55,730 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $55,730 |
| Wholesale Trade | $54,530 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $53,590 |
| State government, including schools and hospitals | $53,580 |
| Mining (except Oil and Gas) | $51,000 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $50,980 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $50,950 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $50,950 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $50,770 |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | $50,470 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $50,470 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | $50,430 |
| Manufacturing | $50,360 |
| Metal Ore Mining | $50,300 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | $50,020 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | $49,210 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | $48,950 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $48,620 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $48,620 |
| Federal, state, and local government, including government-owned schools and hospitals, and the U.S. Postal Service | $48,610 |
| Federal government, including the US Postal Service | $48,600 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $48,600 |
| Cross-industry, private ownership only | $48,480 |
| Utilities | $48,010 |
| Utilities | $48,010 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | $47,820 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $47,790 |
| Construction of Buildings | $47,600 |
| Engineering Services | $47,230 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $47,030 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $47,030 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | $46,910 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems | $46,780 |
| Construction | $46,730 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | $45,790 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $45,780 |
| Utility System Construction | $45,580 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | $45,520 |
| Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors | $45,480 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $45,440 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | $45,150 |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) | $44,660 |
| Rental and Leasing Services | $44,660 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $44,660 |
| Testing Laboratories | $41,810 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | $41,340 |
| Local government, including schools and hospitals | $40,550 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $40,550 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | $39,750 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | $36,900 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $31,170 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $31,060 |
| Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $30,380 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $48,510 |
| 2019 | $46,250 |