Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary by state
What Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operatorss do
Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma
Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials.
Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.
Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
Coordinate truck dumping.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlMonitoringTroubleshootingRepairingCritical Thinking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay by experience level
Entry level$39,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$47,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$55,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$67,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$95,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+3.2%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
4,000
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary by industry
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
17,560 workers
$63,000
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
16,320 workers
$63,000
Specialty Trade Contractors
13,500 workers
$58,500
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
12,520 workers
$58,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
6,250 workers
$62,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
6,000 workers
$62,000
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
1,750 workers
$65,500
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
1,750 workers
$65,500
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors
880 workers
$64,500
Construction of Buildings
760 workers
$59,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pays 6% below the average across 63 roles in the Construction and Extraction job family (family average $65,000).
Similar-paying roles in Construction and Extraction
Need Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
