Will “Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician” will probably not be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #292 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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Job Description

Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials. May perform specialized handling, storage, and accounting procedures. Includes seismograph shooters.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 47-5031.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 54,580.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 26.00
Currently, there are 6,310 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician”

Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Light fuses, drop detonating devices into wells or boreholes, or activate firing devices with plungers, dials, or buttons, in order to set off single or multiple blasts.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signal workers as necessary to ensure that they clear blast sites prior to explosions.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Insert, pack, and pour explosives, such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder, or slurries into blast holes; then shovel drill cuttings, admit water into boreholes, and tamp material to compact charges.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.

Related Technology & Tools

Test lamps
Discharge hoses
Instantaneous electrical detonators
Dewatering pumps
Wire loop pullers
Crescent wrenches
Electronic shock tube initiators
Explosives handling robots
Hole savers
Fuse testers
Non-contact voltage testers
Digital ohmmeters
Right angle prisms
Blasthole drills
Short-wave radios
Hand chisels
Tie-down equipment
Spring scales
Temperature data loggers
Balance scales
Stake flags
Bore hole thermometers
Pallet jacks
End cutting pliers
Surface connector blocks
Millivoltmeters
Hacksaws
Ammonium nitrate fuel oil ANFO loaders
Portable cranes
Digital multimeters
Electrical circuit testers
Portable air compressors
Protective safety glasses
Resistance testers
Torpedo levels
Day boxes
Laptop computers
Vernier calipers
Stakebed trucks
Safety harnesses
Protective respirators
Plumb bobs
Blasting machines
Flashing warning lights
Forklifts
Wire strippers
Grappling hooks
Phillips head screwdrivers
Clinometers
Precision tweezers
Galvanometers
Personal computers
Hoisting equipment
Padded gloves
Rubber mallets
Warning sirens
Wheeled wire dispensers
Non-electric delay detonators
Digital calculators
Wire cleaning brushes
Tongue and groove pliers
Short period delay detonators
Mobile radios
Shock tube detonators
Loading poles
Pneumatic drilling equipment
Plastic plugs
Seismic activity recorders
Transport trucks
Tamping rods
Electricians' knives
Weighted tape measures
Protective ear plugs
Extension ladders
Insulated pliers
Hard hats
Explosives time delay fuses
Remote blasting systems
Meggers
Safety goggles
Perforating capsule guns
Portable signal generators
Explosive blasting caps
Phase rotation meters
Fuse cutters
Wood wedges
Equipment dollies
Digital micrometers
Safety cones
Lowering hooks
Safety fuses
Overhead cranes
Tractor-trailer trucks
Jackhammers
Avalaunchers
Depth measurement gauges
Wire cutting tools
Surveyors leveling rods
Longnose pliers
Conduit bending tools
Blasting cap crimpers
Remote firing devices
Fixed blade knives
Hand shears
Detonating cords
Folding knives
Explosives funnels
Digital voltmeters
Ring gauges
Hydraulic pressure gauges
Harpoon retrievers
Digital ammeters
Coated gloves
Digital wattmeters
Laser rangefinders
Long period delay detonators
Perforating casing guns
Blast hole tubing

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Microsoft Office
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Global Positioning System GPS software