Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in Washington
Considering working as a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in Washington? Here’s what you need to know. 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.
What do Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Make in Washington?
For paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators working in Washington, wages run about $77,180 per year (or roughly $37.11/hour).Annual wages span from $61,580 at the 10th percentile to $128,590 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,580 | $29.61 |
| 25th percentile | $65,620 | $31.55 |
| Median (50th) | $77,180 | $37.11 |
| 75th percentile | $93,920 | $45.15 |
| 90th percentile | $128,590 | $61.82 |
The job concentration index in Washington relative to the national average — is 0.38, indicating fewer paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators per worker than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $64,008 per year ($30.77/hour), higher than the Washington median.
Employment Outlook
There are roughly 196,299 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators across the United States. In Washington alone, about 390 people work in this role. That’s below the typical state, which employs around 540 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators.
Top Washington Metros for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
The metro areas below employ the most paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Washington.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 230 | $80,510 |
Top States for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Employment
View the states that employ the most paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Texas | 5,140 |
| New York | 4,200 |
| Florida | 3,000 |
| Ohio | 2,220 |
| Virginia | 2,180 |
| Michigan | 2,160 |
| California | 1,920 |
| Tennessee | 1,550 |
| Missouri | 1,550 |
| Wisconsin | 1,480 |
| Georgia | 1,440 |
| North Carolina | 1,310 |
| Illinois | 1,300 |
| Colorado | 1,260 |
| Minnesota | 1,130 |
| New Mexico | 1,060 |
| Massachusetts | 1,050 |
| Indiana | 860 |
| New Jersey | 850 |
| Maryland | 760 |
Highest-Paying States for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Where paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators earn the most: paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $108,570 |
| Alaska | $97,670 |
| California | $79,460 |
| Wisconsin | $79,440 |
| Washington | $77,180 |
| Missouri | $70,520 |
| District of Columbia | $70,030 |
| Minnesota | $68,920 |
| Illinois | $66,130 |
| New York | $63,860 |
Skills
The most important paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Day-to-day, paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators typically:
- 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.
Work Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Training and Teaching Others
Tools & Technology
Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Related college programs include:
- Ground Transportation
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Other careers like paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators include:
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
- Construction Laborers
- Pile Driver Operators
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Pipelayers
Also Known As
Asphalt Distributor Operator, Asphalt Distributor Tender, Asphalt Equipment Crew Member, Asphalt Equipment Operator, Asphalt Paver, Asphalt Paver Operator, Asphalt Paving Machine Operator, Asphalt Paving Operator, Asphalt Plant Operator, Asphalt Raker, Asphalt Roller Operator, Asphalt Screed Operator, Asphalt Screedman, Asphalt Spreader Operator, Asphalt Surface Heater Operator.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 47-2071.00