Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction
Occupation · NOC 2021 73402 · Canada
- NOC 2021 code
- 73402
- TEER
- 3
- Positions on positive LMIAs, all lists
- 183
- Median wage, Canada
- C$37.50 per hour
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 85
OC<CANDRILLERS<AND<BLASTERS<SURFACE<MINING<Q 734028<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<6
About this occupation
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.
Example job titles
- blaster - quarrying
- blaster - surface mining
- construction driller
- driller - surface mine
- open-pit blaster
- rotary drilling machine operator
Main duties
- This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- 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
- Load explosives in blast holes by hand or direct movement of bulk explosives trucks to load holes
Employment requirements
- 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.
Temporary foreign worker positions (LMIA)
Positions on positive LMIAs in ESDC employer lists, by year of the list.
Approved positions by year
Data table
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 40 |
| 2023 | 57 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 28 |
| 2026 | 3 |
- Driftwood Diamond Drilling Ltd.24
- Major Drilling International Group Inc.11
- R & R Trading Co. Ltd dba Cascadia Metals10
- Conuma Resources Limited8
- Dyfotech Inc8
- ROCK OF AGES CANADA INC.7
- Geotech Drilling Services Ltd.7
- Dynamitage Castonguay Ltée.7
- Forage Technic-Eau Inc.7
- More Core Diamond Drilling Services Ltd.6
- Kluane Drilling Ltd.6
- Total Trenchless Ltd.6
- Turnkey Site Solutions Ltd5
- Polycor Inc.5
- Construction Norascon inc.5
Work permits
Work permit holders by year the permit took effect, mapped from NOC 2016 where the code has a single NOC 2021 successor (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP permits | IMP permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 15 |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 20 |
| 2023 | 15 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 | 20 |
| 2020 | 0 | 5 |
| 2017 | 0 | 5 |
| 2016 | 10 | 0 |
All work permits by year
Data table
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 20 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 20 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 | 20 |
Wages
Median wage by province and territory (2025 release). Hourly unless marked per year.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | C$27.00 | C$37.50 | C$49.00 |
| Alberta | C$27.00 | C$38.00 | C$50.15 |
| British Columbia | C$31.60 | C$40.00 | C$50.14 |
| Manitoba | C$25.00 | C$32.55 | C$48.44 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | C$25.00 | C$36.00 | C$50.00 |
| Ontario | C$26.00 | C$35.00 | C$47.28 |
| Quebec | C$28.00 | C$39.82 | C$47.00 |
| Saskatchewan | C$24.00 | C$37.75 | C$63.47 |
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 85
- Vacancies advertised
- 609
- Median advertised minimum hourly wage
- C$35.00
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