A police officer or firefighter trained to identify, render safe and dispose of explosive devices, and to investigate bombings. BLS does not publish separate figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers; it counts them within police officer (SOC 33-3051), whose median pay is $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 33-3051
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Bomb Technician in four numbers
- Median pay
- $76,210a year, or $36.64/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $115K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.5%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 51,500693,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025693.2K
- Projected 2035717.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 693.2K Projected 2035 717.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Public Safety Bomb Technician, Bomb Squad Officer, Hazardous Devices Technician, Explosives Technician, Bomb Squad Technician.
Pay
How much do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers make?
Every bomb technician in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$76,210
Middle half earn $59,290 to $97,600
- 10th
- $47,510
- 25th
- $59,290
- 75th
- $97,600
- 90th
- $115,120
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,510 |
| 25th | $59,290 |
| Median | $76,210 |
| 75th | $97,600 |
| 90th | $115,120 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $76,210
- Median hourly wage
- $36.64/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $79,200
- People employed
- 670,520
Versus all US occupations
At $76,210, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn 49% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,230 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $115,120 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,510, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 51% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $118,880, and still leads at $107,370 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $118,880 | $107,370 | 65,940 |
| 2Washington | $102,080 | $95,390 | 9,160 |
| 3Illinois | $100,520 | $100,562 | 29,180 |
| 4Alaska | $99,130 | $96,845 | 1,260 |
| 5Colorado | $97,350 | $94,467 | 9,610 |
| 6Delaware | $92,970 | $93,149 | 1,800 |
| 7New York | $92,790 | $85,980 | 53,470 |
| 8New Jersey | $92,610 | $85,116 | 21,780 |
| 9District of Columbia | $88,650 | $80,664 | 4,720 |
| 10Oregon | $88,140 | $85,274 | 5,030 |
Job outlook
Is Bomb Technician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | +3.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 24,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 51,500 openings are projected each year, 7.4% of the 693,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Bomb Technician
Civilian bomb technicians are almost always experienced police officers, sheriff's deputies or firefighters who apply to join their agency's accredited bomb squad. Candidates are selected on experience, fitness, judgment and a background check, and squads look for officers who stay calm under pressure.
Certification as a public safety bomb technician requires completing the basic course at the FBI Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, which teaches device recognition, render-safe procedures, post-blast investigation and robot operation. Technicians must recertify at the school on a regular cycle and keep up with advanced courses and squad training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Bomb Technician do?
Bomb technicians respond when a suspicious package, improvised explosive device or unexploded ordnance turns up. They assess the threat, use robots, x-ray systems and bomb suits to approach the item, and render it safe or dispose of it under controlled conditions.
Between calls, bomb squads sweep venues before major events and dignitary visits, dispose of old fireworks and military ordnance turned in by the public, train police and fire departments, and maintain their robots and equipment. After a bombing, bomb technicians help investigate the scene, recovering device components and working with federal agencies to trace them.
Day-to-day tasks
- Respond to reports of suspicious packages and explosive devices
- Operate robots and portable x-ray systems to assess devices
- Render safe or dispose of explosive devices and ordnance
- Conduct security sweeps before major events and visits
- Investigate post-blast scenes and collect evidence
- Dispose of old fireworks, ammunition and military ordnance
- Maintain bomb suits, robots and squad equipment
- Train patrol officers and the public on suspicious item awareness
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Bomb technicians work for police and fire agencies, usually as one duty among their regular assignments, and are on call around the clock. Calls can come at any hour and in any weather, and the protective suit is heavy and hot. Much of the work is training, equipment maintenance and event security.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Writing3.1
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Service Orientation3.6
- Persuasion3.5
- Negotiation3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.5 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Geographic information system
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Helpdesk or call center software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Bomb Technician?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIS) built on O*NET's Police Officer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Bomb Technician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.5
- Conventional4.3
- Enterprising4.1
- Social3.9
- Investigative3.5
- Artistic1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Bomb Technician
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives
$106,040median a year
Most earn $63K to $165K
+3.3%High school - Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with police and sheriff's patrol officers highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Bomb Technician$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Bomb Technician | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Bomb Technician appears on
Questions
Bomb Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers. It counts them within police officer, whose median pay is $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $59,290 and $97,600, and the top 10% earn $115,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Bomb Technician?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Bomb Technician a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 51,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Bomb Technician do?
Bomb technicians respond when a suspicious package, improvised explosive device or unexploded ordnance turns up. A typical task: respond to reports of suspicious packages and explosive devices. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers the most?
The highest state medians for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers are California ($118,880), Washington ($102,080), Illinois ($100,520) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Bomb Technician?
O*NET scores Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.