Explosives workers may find themselves working in a variety of settings. Those who work in explosives transport will do most of their work from the cab of a truck; they may also need to unload their vehicle, or provide direction to others who will do so. In most areas, working in explosives transport requires a standard driver's license, plus a trucking license and a special certification for transporting extremely dangerous cargo. These positions are very attractive for individuals who enjoy being outside and don't want to spend hours every day working in the same office. Other explosives professionals, such as seismograph shooters and oil well shooters, also spend many working hours outside and may be required to travel extensively for work. Seismograph shooters must often travel far into the wilderness to install underground sensors that will help detect earthquakes; oil well shooters should be comfortable working in water and living on a remote oil rig for weeks or months at a time. Other explosives workers spend most of their working hours in a laboratory environment. This is particularly true of those who are developing new weapons and explosives for construction, demolition and mining operations.

Many explosives experts are civilians, but others are highly ranked members of the military; in either case, explosives workers who are in any way involved with the military often need special security clearance to do their jobs. This entails a series of extensive background checks and interviews; obtaining the proper clearance can take months; once an explosives worker has such clearance, it sticks with them even if they change jobs.