Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary
Construction and Extraction Occupations · 42K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$53,340
Median hourly
$26
Average annual
$59,000
Typical range
$38,230–$92,230
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is $53,340 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $26 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $38,230 and $92,230 a year. There are roughly 42K people employed as paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
- Hourly
- $25.64
- Daily
- $205
- Weekly
- $1,026
- Bi-weekly
- $2,052
- Monthly
- $4,445
- Annual
- $53,340
$53,340 a year is around the 50th percentile for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operatorss. The median is $53,340.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Hawaii$111,360
- 2District of Columbia$91,280
- 3Washington$90,530
- 4Alaska$83,520
- 5California$83,130
- 6Connecticut$77,480
- 7Idaho$73,210
- 8Illinois$73,060
- 9Missouri$69,400
- 10Wisconsin$69,020
- 11Minnesota$68,180
- 12Oregon$63,310
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$126,640
- 2Urban Honolulu, HI$111,360
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$104,530
- 4Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$96,590
- 5Fort Wayne, IN$95,510
- 6Madison, WI$93,610
- 7Anchorage, AK$84,190
- 8Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$83,370
- 9Rochester, MN$82,730
- 10Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$80,340
- 11Appleton, WI$78,260
- 12Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$77,480
Related job titles
Employers advertise Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators roles under these titles.
- Asphalt Distributor Operator
- Asphalt Equipment Crew Member
- Asphalt Equipment Operator
- Asphalt Paver Operator
- Asphalt Paving Machine Operator
- Asphalt Paving Operator
- Asphalt Plant Operator
- Asphalt Roller Operator
- Asphalt Screed Operator
- Asphalt Screedman
- Asphalt Spreader Operator
- Asphalt Surface Heater Operator
- Asphalt Tamping Machine Operator
- Bituminous Paving Machine Operator
- Black Top Machine Operator
- Black Top Paver Operator
Related occupations
- Construction Laborers$47,120
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$57,020
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining$57,430
- Pile Driver Operators$73,300
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators$70,070
- Pipelayers$49,000
- Hoist and Winch Operators$56,450
What a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators does
- Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
- 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.
- Operate tamping machines or manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials, according to grade specifications.
- Operate oil distributors, loaders, chip spreaders, dump trucks, and snow plows.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is $53,340 ($26 per hour). Pay ranges from about $38,230 at the 10th percentile to $92,230 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $59,000, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operatorss the most?
- Hawaii has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $111,360.
- Is Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 42K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators do?
- Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.; 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..