Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary: $92,656 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 45,680 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators nationally earn a mean of $92,656. Employment in the series shown rose about 9% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.2% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators: what the data shows
Common questions about paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators?
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2071.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 45,680 workers.
What does a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People, Performing General Physical Activities, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $51,650 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $92,656 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,055 |
| 25th percentile | $62,505 |
| Median (50th) | $81,796 |
| 75th percentile | $127,099 |
| 90th percentile | $136,127 |
What education do you need?
For Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators, 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 Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Coordination, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -27.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -47.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 45,680.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 45,680 | 19.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 39,280 | 16.8% |
| Construction | 35,500 | 15.2% |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 18,380 | 7.8% |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 17,160 | 7.3% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 16,140 | 6.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
45,680 Workforce in 2023
The Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$92,656 Average Wage
In 2023, Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators earned an average of $92,656.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Salary distribution for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
-6.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,357 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -27.4%
3,164 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -47.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
13.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 5,140 employees, $46,650 avg wage
- NY: 4,200 employees, $76,360 avg wage
- FL: 3,000 employees, $45,490 avg wage
- OH: 2,220 employees, $62,020 avg wage
- VA: 2,180 employees, $48,250 avg wage
- MI: 2,160 employees, $57,770 avg wage
- CA: 1,920 employees, $90,010 avg wage
- MO: 1,550 employees, $67,740 avg wage
- TN: 1,550 employees, $48,390 avg wage
- WI: 1,480 employees, $74,050 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,450 employees, $75,980 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,290 employees, $49,380 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,260 employees, $57,060 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,180 employees, $46,630 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,060 employees, $73,460 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 960 employees, $46,620 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 800 employees, $60,790 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 620 employees, $55,110 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 610 employees, $49,610 avg wage
- Kansas City, MO-KS: 610 employees, $68,840 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in 2023 was 45,680 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
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 Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Skills
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Coordination.
Required skills for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators include Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security, Physics.
Knowledge areas required for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators include Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Multilimb Coordination, Reaction Time, Rate Control.
Required abilities for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
Daily Activities
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.
About
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
The average yearly wage for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators was $92,656 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2071 - Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators reports an average salary of $92,656.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 45,680 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -6.2%, 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.