Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep worked example

Blast Operator Labor Cost at 65% hands-on nozzle time share: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop hands-on nozzle time share to 65%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate direct labor cost from blast hours, labor rate, hands-on percentage, and setup or PPE time cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Planned blast booth hours: 28 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Burdened blast operator rate: 62 $ / hr (held at the documented default)
  • Hands-on nozzle time share: 65 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 90)
  • Setup and PPE allowance: 185 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Direct labor subtotal = planned labor hours × burdened labor rate × hands-on blast allocation.
  • Blast labor cost works out to 1,313 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Labor cost per hour works out to 46.91 $ / hr at these inputs.
  • Direct labor subtotal works out to 1,128 $ at these inputs.
  • Setup/PPE allowance works out to 185 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where hands-on nozzle time share sits at 90% and the headline result is 1,747 $, this scenario comes in 24.84% below the baseline at 1,313 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to hands-on nozzle time share, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes a single burdened rate; if you mix apprentice and lead-blaster wages on the same job, blend the rate first or the cost will be skewed.

Results at a glance

  • Blast labor cost: 1,313 $ (headline result)
  • Labor cost per hour: 46.91 $ / hr
  • Direct labor subtotal: 1,128 $
  • Setup/PPE allowance: 185 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Blast Operator Labor Cost calculator, set hands-on nozzle time share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.