Highway Maintenance Workers Salary: $63,452 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 151,750 highway maintenance workers nationally earn a mean of $63,452. Employment in the series shown rose about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.3% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Highway Maintenance Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about highway maintenance workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a highway maintenance workers?
Highway Maintenance Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-4051.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 151,750 workers.
What does a highway maintenance workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a highway maintenance workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $49,070 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $63,452 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,161 |
| 25th percentile | $50,379 |
| Median (50th) | $60,014 |
| 75th percentile | $77,205 |
| 90th percentile | $82,557 |
What education do you need?
For Highway Maintenance Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Coordination, Speaking, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, English Language, Transportation, Building and Construction. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is highway maintenance workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 29.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 68.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 151,750.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do highway maintenance workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 151,750 | 16.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 144,200 | 16.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 144,200 | 16.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 144,200 | 16.1% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 105,880 | 11.8% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 105,880 | 11.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Highway Maintenance Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 32,890 | $61,680 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 81,510 | $59,300 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 318,570 | $96,800 |
| Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | 97,540 | $38,860 |
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 56,540 | $60,500 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 16,480 | $67,370 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Highway Maintenance Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
151,750 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 151,750 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 151,750 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.