Drillers & blasters - surface mining, quarrying, construction

About this job

Drillers in this group operate mobile drilling machines:

to bore blast holes in open-pit mines and quarries
to bore holes for blasting and for building foundations at construction sites

Blasters in this group:

fill blast holes with explosives
detonate explosives to dislodge coal, ore and rock or to demolish structures

These workers are employed by:

mining, quarrying and construction companies
drilling and blasting contractors

Common job titles

driller, open-pit / seismic prospecting
operator, air-track drill
operator, core drill

operator, diamond drill
operator, drilling machine

driller, open-pit / seismic prospecting
operator, air-track drill
operator, core drill
operator, diamond drill
operator, drilling machine

Earnings

Annual provincial median salary

$69,784

Source: 2020 Job Bank Wage data

Note:Estimated median employment income based on 2020 Job Bank median hourly wage rate (median annual salary = hourly wage rate x 40 (hours per week) x 52.14 (weeks per year))

Provincial hourly rate

High
Median
Low

Source: 2020 Job Bank Wage Report

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2019-2029)

Provincial outlook

Forecasted average employment growth rate

2019 - 2024
2024 - 2029

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job openings

10 year expected job openings: 170

2019
2024
2029

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Composition of job openings

New jobs due to economic growth:
6.2%
10 openings

Replacement of retiring workers:
93.8%
150 openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Regional outlook

Cariboo

Employment in 2019:

N/A

Average annual employment growth(%) 2019-2029:

N/A

Expected number of job openings 2019-2029:

N/A

Kootenay

Employment in 2019:

40

Average annual employment growth(%) 2019-2029:

-0.1%

Expected number of job openings 2019-2029:

10

Mainland / Southwest

Employment in 2019:

250

Average annual employment growth(%) 2019-2029:

0.6%

Expected number of job openings 2019-2029:

60

North Coast & Nechako

Employment in 2019:

30

Average annual employment growth(%) 2019-2029:

0.4%

Expected number of job openings 2019-2029:

10

Northeast

Employment in 2019:

N/A

Average annual employment growth(%) 2019-2029:

N/A

Expected number of job openings 2019-2029:

N/A

Thompson-Okanagan

Employment in 2019:

90

Average annual employment growth(%) 2019-2029:

-0.3%

Expected number of job openings 2019-2029:

20

Vancouver Island / Coast

Employment in 2019:

220

Average annual employment growth(%) 2019-2029:

-0.5%

Expected number of job openings 2019-2029:

30

N/A - Data not available

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Duties

Drillers in this group:

drive and operate tracked or truck-mounted rotary drilling, air-track or other drilling machines to bore large blast holes to specified depths at staked positions in open-pit mine or quarry
run drilling machines to drill blast holes in rock at road or other construction sites
operate tracked or truck-mounted drill equipped with auger or other attachment to drill holes for building foundations or pilings
may measure location and stake out pattern of holes to be drilled, load blast holes with explosives and detonate explosives to dislodge coal, ore or rock

Blasters in this group

read instructions or diagrams, lay out drill pattern and determine depth and diameter of blast holes and conduct field tests to determine type and quantity of explosives needed
assemble or direct other workers to assemble primer charges using selected detonators, fuses, detonating cords and other materials
load explosives in blast holes by hand or direct movement of bulk explosives trucks to load holes
connect electrical wires, detonating cords or fuses into series and connect series to blasting machines; press handle or button to detonate charges
handle, store and transport explosives and accessories in accordance with regulations and make sure that safety procedures are followed
may operate air-track, rotary, down-the-hole or other drilling machines to drill blast holes
may direct drilling of blast holes

Work environment

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

Work takes place outdoors, so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions.
Work also takes inside heavy equipment such as drilling machines.
Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools may be a potential source of injury.
Exposure to flying particles and falling objects in the work environment pose the risk of injury.
Working with explosives in dangerous locations means workers must follow safety precautions.
Loud noises in the workplace can affect hearing.

Workforce and employment statistics

Workforce characteristics

500 workers are employed

40% of workers are working mostly full time

Source: 2016 Census

Employment by gender

Men

Women

Source: 2016 Census

Employment by age group

15 - 24 years

25 - 44 years

45 - 64 years

65+ years

Source: 2016 Census

Labour force by industry

Construction:

71%

Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction:

18%

Manufacturing:

4%

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services:

4%

Wholesale Trade:

2%

View more industry data

Source: 2016 Census

Employment by region

% employment of this occupation

% employment of all occupations

Cariboo

Kootenay

Mainland / Southwest

North Coast & Nechako

Northeast

Thompson-Okanagan

Vancouver Island / Coast

Source: 2016 Census

Job requirements

Education, training & qualifications

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
On-the-job training is provided.
Experience as a heavy equipment operator may be required for drillers.
Experience as a blaster helper in surface mining and quarrying or construction may be required for blasters.
Provincial blasting licence is usually required for blasters.
Trade certification for blasters is available, but voluntary, in New Brunswick and Ontario

Blasters who are certified for that occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.

For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.

Contact the WorkSafe BC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.

For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.

View a list of B.C. occupational regulators.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

Driver/Heavy Equipment Operator Training

For more information about programs offered specifically for this career, visit EducationPlannerBC.

Work-related skills

Related careers

Career paths and resources

Career paths

Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

Drillers and blasters often perform both drilling and blasting activities.

Additional resources

British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA)
www.bccassn.com
Canadian Avalanche Association
www.avalanche.ca/caa/resources/job-classifieds
Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME)
www.ime.org
International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE)
www.isee.org
Transport Canada – Transportation of Dangerous Goods
www.tc.gc.ca/eng/tdg/safety-menu.htm

Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction (NOC 7372)

About this job

Earnings

Annual provincial median salary

Provincial hourly rate

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2019-2029)

Provincial outlook

Forecasted average employment growth rate

Job openings

Composition of job openings

Regional outlook

Duties

Work environment

Workforce and employment statistics

Workforce characteristics

Employment by gender

Employment by age group

Labour force by industry

Employment by region

Job requirements

Education, training & qualifications

Education programs in B.C.

Career paths and resources

Skills of the future

Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction (NOC 7372)

About this job

Earnings

Annual provincial median salary

Provincial hourly rate

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2019-2029)

Provincial outlook

Forecasted average employment growth rate

Job openings

Composition of job openings

Regional outlook

Duties

Work environment

Workforce and employment statistics

Workforce characteristics

Employment by gender

Employment by age group

Labour force by industry

Employment by region

Job requirements

Education, training & qualifications

Education programs in B.C.

Work-related skills

What skills do you need for this career?

Related careers

Career paths and resources

Driller

Blaster

Driller Blaster

Skills of the future