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Skilled Trades

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$53,340

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$38k – $92k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

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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 "Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators" — 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 Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

    Entry / Junior

    $38,230

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

    Established

    $53,340

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

    Senior

    $72,785

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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