What Do Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator Do?
Position Description Operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways, or equipment used for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. Includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators.
Life As a Paving, Surfacing & Tamping Equipment Operator: What Do They Do?
- Drive and operate curbing machines to extrude concrete or asphalt curbing.
- Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
- Shovel blacktop.
- Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.
- Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
- 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.
What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Paving, Surfacing & Tamping Equipment Operator?
These are the skills Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Related Job Titles
- Black Top Machine Operator
- Paving Foreman
- Asphalt Distributor Tender
- Asphalt Roller Person
- Asphalt Surface Heater Operator
Is There Job Demand for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators?
There were about 51,900 jobs for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,300 new jobs for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 6,200 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Paving, Surfacing & Tamping Equipment Operator are Utah, Arizona, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, New Mexico, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Paving, Surfacing & Tamping Equipment Operator
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators make between $27,260 and $70,710 a year.
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators who work in Oregon, Illinois, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $37,450 |
| Alaska | $66,250 |
| Arizona | $41,500 |
| Arkansas | $33,930 |
| California | $58,370 |
| Colorado | $45,310 |
| Connecticut | $52,100 |
| Delaware | $44,860 |
| District of Columbia | $51,770 |
| Florida | $34,460 |
| Georgia | $36,630 |
| Idaho | $37,970 |
| Illinois | $59,540 |
| Indiana | $42,760 |
| Iowa | $44,360 |
| Kansas | $39,470 |
| Kentucky | $39,530 |
| Louisiana | $43,110 |
| Maine | $38,720 |
| Maryland | $43,140 |
| Massachusetts | $60,260 |
| Michigan | $48,190 |
| Minnesota | $55,280 |
| Mississippi | $33,400 |
| Missouri | $49,060 |
| Montana | $47,310 |
| Nebraska | $35,450 |
| Nevada | $55,890 |
| New Hampshire | $42,850 |
| New Jersey | $49,540 |
| New Mexico | $40,010 |
| New York | $59,100 |
| North Carolina | $37,040 |
| North Dakota | $49,800 |
| Ohio | $51,240 |
| Oklahoma | $36,160 |
| Oregon | $64,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,890 |
| South Carolina | $35,300 |
| South Dakota | $43,560 |
| Tennessee | $34,840 |
| Texas | $38,770 |
| Utah | $45,210 |
| Virginia | $34,170 |
| Washington | $66,520 |
| West Virginia | $38,940 |
| Wisconsin | $43,790 |
| Wyoming | $47,000 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- HCSS HeavyBid
Becoming a Paving, Surfacing & Tamping Equipment Operator
Individuals working as a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator have obtained the following education levels:
What work experience do I need to become a Paving, Surfacing & Tamping Equipment Operator?
Where Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Are Employed
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators work in the following industries:
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator may also be interested in:
- Stock Clerks- Stockroom, Warehouse, or Storage Yard
- Fallers
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Those who work as a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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