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Skilled Trades

Highway Maintenance Workers

Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.

Median salary (BLS)

$50,260

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$36k – $72k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Highway Maintenance Workers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Highway Maintenance Workers

    Entry / Junior

    $36,230

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Highway Maintenance Workers

    Established

    $50,260

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Highway Maintenance Workers

    Senior

    $61,115

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
  • •Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
  • •Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
  • •Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
  • •Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.