Bomb Squad Commander

Also called: Bomb Squad Supervisor, Hazardous Devices Unit Commander

Leads a police bomb squad, deciding how each suspicious package or explosive is handled and keeping technicians alive.

A day in the life

Commanders run the scene when a suspicious backpack is left at a stadium: they set the evacuation distance, choose whether to send the robot or a technician in a bomb suit, and talk with FBI partners. Between calls they manage training, budgets, robots and X-ray gear, and sweep venues before big events.

Pay over a career

Starting
$95k
Typical
$125k
High
$165k

Police supervisor pay plus specialty pay. Estimate.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

High school diploma, about 14 years after high school. Senior police officer with years as an FBI-certified bomb technician, then promotion to sergeant or lieutenant.

Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.

Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Chemistry, Engineering Technology.

Outlook

Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). BLS police and detectives, 2024-34; this assignment is a small slice (approx.).

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Robots and sensors do more of the dangerous approach; command judgment stays human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Robotics club.

Official data: O*NET occupation 33-1012.

More Specialized & Tactical Policing careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.