Highway Maintenance Workers
Highway Maintenance Workers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 6.1% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Highway Maintenance Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
7,770 Workforce in 2023
The Highway Maintenance Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$63,452 Average Wage
In 2023, Highway Maintenance Workers earned an average of $63,452.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Salary distribution for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
5.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
39,351 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 29.7%
51,040 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 68.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 5.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Highway Maintenance Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Highway Maintenance Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 6,410 employees, $64,479 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,870 employees, $60,813 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 620 employees, $63,205 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 500 employees, $71,167 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 480 employees, $65,500 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 480 employees, $62,739 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 460 employees, $64,317 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 350 employees, $87,848 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 330 employees, $62,803 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 190 employees, $59,334 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 140 employees, $61,547 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Highway Maintenance Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Highway Maintenance Workers in 2023 was 7,770 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Highway Maintenance Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Highway Maintenance Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Skills
Highway Maintenance Workers need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Coordination, Speaking.
Required skills for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Highway Maintenance Workers include Public Safety and Security, English Language, Transportation, Building and Construction, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Highway Maintenance Workers include Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Highway Maintenance Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Highway Maintenance Workers.
Daily Activities
Highway Maintenance Workers spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Highway Maintenance Workers.
About
Highway Maintenance Workers
The average yearly wage for Highway Maintenance Workers was $63,452 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-4051 - Highway Maintenance Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Highway Maintenance Workers reports an average salary of $63,452.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,770 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.