Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.
SOC 47-5032
Explosives Workers and Blasters AI displacement risk
Explosives workers place and detonate charges for construction, demolition, and mining. Electronic detonation systems and blast-design software now model shots before a hole is drilled, but every step — examining the blast area, loading charges, clearing the site, keeping federal explosives records — is licensed, inspected human work.
Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.
Blast software makes shots more precise; it does not touch the regulatory chain. ATF compliance, site security, and the judgment to abort a shot in changing conditions keep this one of the most human-mandatory roles in construction.
Distribution
Where Explosives Workers and Blasters sits across 620 tracked roles
Displacement pressure 14 — higher than 8% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.
Score version
This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-08-15. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.
27 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 47-5032. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.
Median wage context: $61,390 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 47-5032.
Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.
2030 economic stress test
How Anthropic's scenarios classify Explosives Workers and Blasters
SOC 47-5032 places this role in the paper's all-other occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 14/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.
+1.1% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.
+5.9% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.
+33.6% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.
Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.
Official task evidence
O*NET task matches for Explosives Workers and Blasters
The current evidence import matched 27 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.
Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks27
SOC47-5032
- Core task / ID 9904
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
- Core task / ID 9905
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
- Core task / ID 9906
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.
- Core task / ID 9907
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.
- Core task / ID 9908
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.
- Core task / ID 9909
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.
Task profile
Where AI changes the work
Examine blast areas to determine charges needed
Exposure 28, automation 11%, augmentation 50%.
O*NET evidence: Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to e... (ID 9904)
Place and detonate explosive charges
Exposure 14, automation 4%, augmentation 30%.
O*NET evidence: Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish s... (ID 9907)
Clear blast sites and signal workers
Exposure 16, automation 5%, augmentation 34%.
O*NET evidence: Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signa... (ID 9906)
Keep explosives records in compliance with federal laws
Exposure 44, automation 22%, augmentation 54%.
O*NET evidence: Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws. (ID 9910)
TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Examine blast areas to determine charges needed2811%50%
Place and detonate explosive charges144%30%
Clear blast sites and signal workers165%34%
Keep explosives records in compliance with federal laws4422%54%
Transition pathways
Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills
role redesign
LowBlasting Foreman
Training horizon: 6-12 months. Skill overlap 66. Wage preservation signal 118.
- Lead shot crews
- Own permit compliance
- Coordinate with site management
credentialed transition
LowDrilling and Blasting Engineer
Training horizon: 24-36 months. Skill overlap 54. Wage preservation signal 140.
- Complete an engineering degree
- Design production blasts
- Optimize fragmentation models
Comparison guides
Compare the next move before you commit
6-12 months
Explosives Workers and Blasters to Blasting Foreman
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Explosives Workers and Blasters into Blasting Foreman.
24-36 months
Explosives Workers and Blasters to Drilling and Blasting Engineer
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Explosives Workers and Blasters into Drilling and Blasting Engineer.
What the AI risk score means for Explosives Workers and Blasters
The displacement pressure score for Explosives Workers and Blasters is 14. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.
For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Keep explosives records in compliance with federal laws carries 22% automation pressure, while Keep explosives records in compliance with federal laws carries 54% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.
Labor-market context and wage risk
Median wage: $61,390 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Regulated blasting role where compliance is the job. Typical education: High school plus extensive licensing and safety training.
Wage vulnerability is 36, while transition feasibility is 54. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.
- Low displacement pressure
- Software models shots, people fire them
- Federal licensing is the moat
Upskilling priorities
Skills that make this role more resilient
The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Explosives Workers and Blasters, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.
Blast design
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Explosives safety
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Federal compliance
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Charge placement precision
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
90-day transition plan
The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.
- In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
- By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Blasting Foreman, such as lead shot crews.
- By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Blasting Foreman or Drilling and Blasting Engineer and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.
FAQ
Questions about AI and Explosives Workers and Blasters
Will AI replace Explosives Workers and Blasters?
Explosives workers place and detonate charges for construction, demolition, and mining. Electronic detonation systems and blast-design software now model shots before a hole is drilled, but every step — examining the blast area, loading charges, clearing the site, keeping federal explosives records — is licensed, inspected human work. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.
Which parts of Explosives Workers and Blasters work are most exposed to AI?
Keep explosives records in compliance with federal laws and Examine blast areas to determine charges needed show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Keep explosives records in compliance with federal laws and Examine blast areas to determine charges needed are better treated as AI-augmented work.
What should Explosives Workers and Blasters learn next?
Start with Blast design, Explosives safety, Federal compliance. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Blasting Foreman and Drilling and Blasting Engineer.
How should this score be used?
Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.
Sources
Evidence trail
OECD / 11 July 2023OECD Employment Outlook 2023: Artificial Intelligence and the Labour MarketO*NET Resource Center / Database 31.0 (August 2026)Occupation, Task, Skill, and Work-Activity DataUS Bureau of Labor Statistics / May 2025 estimates (released 15 May 2026)Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics