Home / Career Explorer / Construction and Extraction

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$51650	4000	3.2%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$51650

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

4000

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

3.2%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma

Related Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Detailed Work Activities

Direct vehicle traffic.
Operate road-surfacing equipment.
Inspect equipment or tools to be used in construction or excavation.
Clean equipment or facilities.
Maintain construction tools or equipment.
Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures.
Operate equipment or vehicles to clear construction sites or move materials.
Coordinate construction project activities.
Assemble temporary equipment or structures.
Dismantle equipment or temporary structures.
Compact materials to create level bases.
Spread sand, dirt or other loose materials onto surfaces.
Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
Monitor construction operations.
Direct construction or extraction personnel.
Build construction forms or molds.
Mark reference points on construction materials.
Load materials into construction equipment.
Operate heavy-duty construction or installation equipment.
Break up rock, asphalt, or concrete.
Install equipment attachments or components.
Cut tile, stone, or other masonry materials.
Apply material to fill gaps in surfaces.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

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.
Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites.
Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
Set up and tear down equipment.
Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.
Control traffic.
Shovel blacktop.
Operate tamping machines or manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials, according to grade specifications.
Operate oil distributors, loaders, chip spreaders, dump trucks, and snow plows.
Place strips of material, such as cork, asphalt, or steel into joints, or place rolls of expansion-joint material on machines that automatically insert material.
Drive and operate curbing machines to extrude concrete or asphalt curbing.
Operate machines that clean or cut expansion joints in concrete or asphalt and that rout out cracks in pavement.
Cut or break up pavement and drive guardrail posts, using machines equipped with interchangeable hammers.
Install dies, cutters, and extensions to screeds onto machines, using hand tools.
Set up forms and lay out guidelines for curbs, according to written specifications, using string, spray paint, and concrete or water mixes.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Session has been expired