The median pay for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is $53,340 a year ($25.64/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 0.9% through 2035, with about 3,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 47-2071
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $53,340a year, or $25.64/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $92K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.9%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,10042,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202542.3K
- Projected 203541.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 42.3K Projected 2035 41.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school41%
- High school38.4%
- Certificate20.6%
Highest education held by paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators Segment Value Less than high school 41% High school 38.4% Certificate 20.6%
Also advertised as: Asphalt Paver Operator, Asphalt Paving Machine Operator, Asphalt Raker, Asphalt Roller Operator, Equipment Operator (EO), Loader Operator.
Pay
How much do Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators make?
Every paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$53,340
Middle half earn $45,610 to $64,720
- 10th
- $38,230
- 25th
- $45,610
- 75th
- $64,720
- 90th
- $92,230
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $38,230 |
| 25th | $45,610 |
| Median | $53,340 |
| 75th | $64,720 |
| 90th | $92,230 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $53,340
- Median hourly wage
- $25.64/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $59,000
- People employed
- 41,820
Versus all US occupations
At $53,340, Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators earn 5% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $2,360 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $60,020, this is 11% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $92,230 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,230, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 26% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Hawaii pays the most at $111,360, and still leads at $101,281 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hawaii | $111,360 | $101,281 | N/A |
| 2District of Columbia | $91,280 | $83,057 | 70 |
| 3Washington | $90,530 | $84,597 | 530 |
| 4Alaska | $83,520 | $81,595 | 80 |
| 5California | $83,130 | $75,081 | 1,400 |
| 6Connecticut | $77,480 | $74,780 | N/A |
| 7Idaho | $73,210 | $76,665 | 130 |
| 8Illinois | $73,060 | $73,091 | 950 |
| 9Missouri | $69,400 | $76,417 | 1,560 |
| 10Wisconsin | $69,020 | $73,351 | 960 |
Job outlook
Is Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | −0.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators to change -0.9% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 400 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,100 openings are projected each year, 7.3% of the 42,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of construction equipment operators is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of construction equipment operators varies by occupation (see table).
Spending on infrastructure is expected to increase, resulting in some new jobs for construction equipment operators over the decade. Across the country, many roads, bridges, and water and sewer systems are in need of repair. In addition, population growth will require new infrastructure, such as roads and sewer lines, which are expected to generate jobs.
Getting in
How to become a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator
Workers may learn equipment operation on the job after earning a high school diploma or equivalent, through an apprenticeship, or by attending vocational schools.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators.
- Less than a High School Diploma41%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)38.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate20.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 41% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 38.4% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 20.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator do?
Operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways or for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. Includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators.
Construction equipment operators drive, maneuver, or control the heavy machinery used to construct roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures.
Day-to-day tasks
- Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
- Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
- Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
- Operate tamping machines or manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials, according to grade specifications.
- Shovel blacktop.
- Control traffic.
- Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
- Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Construction equipment operators may have irregular schedules, such as continuing around the clock or late into the night. Most construction equipment operators work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. The work may be seasonal in areas of the country that experience extreme cold.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.3
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Active Learning2.6
- Reading Comprehension2.5
- Learning Strategies2.3
- Mathematics2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.3 |
| Mathematics | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.6
- Operation and Control3.4
- Coordination3.0
- Troubleshooting3.0
- Repairing3.0
- Equipment Maintenance2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Quality Control Analysis2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Operation and Control | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 |
| Repairing | 3.0 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
- Project management software
- Time accounting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional3.7
- Investigative1.7
- Artistic1.0
- Social1.0
- Enterprising1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator
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More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators highlighted
- Plumber$63,800
- Electrician$63,190
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker$62,780
- Sheet Metal Worker$61,800
- Carpenter$60,580
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator$59,850
- Roofer$55,440
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator$53,340
- Oil and Gas Roustabout$46,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Plumber | $63,800 |
| Electrician | $63,190 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Worker | $62,780 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,800 |
| Carpenter | $60,580 |
| Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator | $59,850 |
| Roofer | $55,440 |
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator | $53,340 |
| Oil and Gas Roustabout | $46,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator appears on
Questions
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator: frequently asked questions
How much do Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators make?
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators earn a median of $53,340 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 5% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $25.64/hr. The middle half earn between $45,610 and $64,720. The top 10% earn $92,230 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 41.0% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.9% over 2025–2035, a loss of 400 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator do?
Construction equipment operators drive, maneuver, or control the heavy machinery used to construct roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures. A core O*NET task: inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators the most?
The highest state medians for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators are Hawaii ($111,360), District of Columbia ($91,280), Washington ($90,530) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator?
O*NET scores Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.