How to become a driller and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction
Official title: Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction
Also called: Quarry driller, Open-pit blaster, Open-pit driller, Blaster - quarrying, Driller - quarrying, Construction blaster, Construction driller, Driller - surface mine, Blaster - surface mining, Driller - surface mining, Seismic prospecting driller, Blaster (except underground mining)
Drillers and blasters in surface mining, quarrying and construction operate mobile drilling machines to bore blast holes in open-pit mines and quarries and to bore holes for blasting and for building foundations at construction sites. Blasters in this unit group fill blast holes with explosives and detonate explosives to dislodge coal, ore and rock or to demolish structures. They are employed by mining, quarrying and construction companies and by drilling and blasting contractors.
Main tasks
- Drillers
- 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
- Operate 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
- 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 required
- Assemble or direct other workers to assemble primer charges using selected detonators, fuses, detonating cords and other materials
How to become one
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 compulsory in Nova Scotia.
Ways in
- Licence or registration: Provincial blasting licence is usually required for blasters.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $73,125 a year The middle half earn $62,400 to $83,772.
- About 2,200 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 2,500 are projected by 2033. (+13.6%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: balance.
Related jobs
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a driller and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction?
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 compulsory in Nova Scotia.
How much does a driller and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $73,125 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)). The middle half earn $62,400 to $83,772.
Is a driller and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 14% by 2033, from about 2,200 to about 2,500 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become a driller and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction?
Usually not. Only 2% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03