Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$96,920
- California$94,440
- Washington$90,790
- Alaska$83,530
- District of Columbia$80,320
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$40,780
- Alabama$43,370
- Arkansas$44,060
- Tennessee$45,850
- South Carolina$47,340
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $96,920 | $111,360 | $47 | +64.3% | — |
| 2 | California | $94,440 | $83,130 | $45 | +60.1% | 1,400 |
| 3 | Washington | $90,790 | $90,530 | $44 | +53.9% | 530 |
| 4 | Alaska | $83,530 | $83,520 | $40 | +41.6% | 80 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $80,320 | $91,280 | $39 | +36.1% | 70 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $77,210 | $77,480 | $37 | +30.9% | — |
| 7 | Illinois | $77,180 | $73,060 | $37 | +30.8% | 950 |
| 8 | Idaho | $76,060 | $73,210 | $37 | +28.9% | 130 |
| 9 | New York | $72,330 | $62,760 | $35 | +22.6% | 4,530 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $71,850 | $68,180 | $35 | +21.8% | 830 |
| 11 | Missouri | $70,190 | $69,400 | $34 | +19% | 1,560 |
| 12 | Oregon | $69,920 | $63,310 | $34 | +18.5% | 520 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $68,570 | $69,020 | $33 | +16.2% | 960 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,140 | $63,060 | $32 | +13.8% | 160 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $64,620 | $60,950 | $31 | +9.5% | 560 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $64,440 | $62,080 | $31 | +9.2% | 260 |
| 17 | Maryland | $64,370 | $60,530 | $31 | +9.1% | 750 |
| 18 | Ohio | $63,010 | $60,280 | $30 | +6.8% | 2,370 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $61,370 | $60,140 | $30 | +4% | 130 |
| 20 | Maine | $61,100 | $57,020 | $29 | +3.6% | 250 |
| 21 | Iowa | $60,140 | $61,110 | $29 | +1.9% | — |
| 22 | Arizona | $59,760 | $52,140 | $29 | +1.3% | 170 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $59,120 | $58,080 | $28 | +0.2% | 160 |
| 24 | Montana | $58,300 | $55,920 | $28 | -1.2% | 260 |
| 25 | Indiana | $57,670 | $50,380 | $28 | -2.3% | 910 |
| 26 | Nevada | $57,210 | $51,400 | $28 | -3% | — |
| 27 | Colorado | $57,140 | $58,810 | $27 | -3.2% | 920 |
| 28 | Vermont | $56,820 | $54,830 | $27 | -3.7% | 70 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $56,370 | $56,010 | $27 | -4.5% | 520 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $56,050 | $50,500 | $27 | -5% | 840 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $55,160 | $51,230 | $27 | -6.5% | 210 |
| 32 | Michigan | $54,880 | $54,220 | $26 | -7% | 1,720 |
| 33 | Utah | $54,760 | $48,860 | $26 | -7.2% | 410 |
| 34 | Kansas | $54,410 | $49,070 | $26 | -7.8% | 540 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $53,140 | $48,450 | $26 | -9.9% | 350 |
| 36 | Delaware | $51,570 | $54,020 | $25 | -12.6% | 150 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $49,810 | $45,760 | $24 | -15.6% | 390 |
| 38 | Virginia | $49,640 | $48,060 | $24 | -15.9% | 1,660 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $49,230 | $47,820 | $24 | -16.6% | 1,940 |
| 40 | Texas | $48,940 | $47,060 | $24 | -17.1% | 3,940 |
| 41 | Florida | $48,530 | $46,840 | $23 | -17.7% | 2,740 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $48,050 | $46,760 | $23 | -18.6% | 550 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $47,810 | $45,660 | $23 | -19% | 110 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $47,700 | $45,880 | $23 | -19.2% | 990 |
| 45 | Georgia | $47,540 | $46,100 | $23 | -19.4% | 1,270 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $47,340 | $46,950 | $23 | -19.8% | 630 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $45,850 | $42,510 | $22 | -22.3% | 1,730 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $44,060 | $44,010 | $21 | -25.3% | 490 |
| 49 | Alabama | $43,370 | $41,880 | $21 | -26.5% | 700 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $40,780 | $37,030 | $20 | -30.9% | 470 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 218 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $126,640 | $105,890 | 310 |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $111,360 | $94,450 | — |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $104,530 | $105,680 | 260 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $96,590 | $98,470 | 270 |
| 5 | Fort Wayne, IN | $95,510 | $76,350 | 50 |
| 6 | Madison, WI | $93,610 | $81,540 | 80 |
| 7 | Anchorage, AK | $84,190 | $84,690 | 60 |
| 8 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $83,370 | $75,610 | 140 |
| 9 | Rochester, MN | $82,730 | $79,200 | 40 |
| 10 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $81,360 | $72,530 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $107,730 | $84,760 | 30 |
| 2 | Natural Gas Distribution | $107,730 | $84,760 | 30 |
| 3 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $107,730 | $84,760 | 30 |
| 4 | Repair and Maintenance | $79,190 | $75,990 | 100 |
| 5 | Commercial & Industrial Machinery & Equipment (except Automotive & Electronic) Repair & Maintenance | $79,190 | $75,990 | 100 |
| 6 | Sector 81 - Other Services (except Public Administration) | $79,190 | $75,990 | 100 |
| 7 | Rail Transportation | $79,100 | $80,290 | 100 |
| 8 | Rail Transportation | $79,100 | $80,290 | 100 |
| 9 | Residential Building Construction | $63,350 | $60,470 | — |
| 10 | Landscaping Services | $63,160 | $65,480 | 80 |
| 11 | Services to Buildings and Dwellings | $62,620 | $64,970 | 80 |
| 12 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $61,810 | $56,900 | 70 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2017, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make in the U.S.?
The median paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary in the United States is $53,340 per year (mean $59,000), and about 80% earn between $38,230 and $92,230.
How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make per hour?
Roughly $28 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $59,000 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators at $96,920 per year (median $111,360).
What is the job outlook for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators?
Employment is projected to change +3.2% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 4,000 openings per year.