Also called: Bomb Squad Officer, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (Police)
Safely examines and disables suspicious packages, explosives, and old military bombs.
Bomb techs suit up in 80-pound protective gear or send robots to inspect suspicious bags. Most calls turn out harmless, but every one is treated as real. All public bomb techs train at the FBI's Hazardous Devices School in Alabama.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 8 years after high school. Police academy plus several years as a patrol officer, then selection and specialized training. FBI Hazardous Devices School certification.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Military, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Chemistry.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Police and detectives 2024-34 (approx.); specialty units are small.
Low risk for 10 years. Robots and X-ray tools do more of the approach; deciding how to render a device safe stays a human call.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Electronics CTE, PE / strength training.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-3051.
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.