47
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is a notable career in the 47 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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11
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13
| soc | 47-2071 |
| title | Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators |
| onet code | 47-2071.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 47 |
| tot emp | 45,680 |
| a mean | 58,660 |
| a median | 51,650 |
| a pct10 | 38,030 |
| a pct25 | 44,740 |
| a pct75 | 66,060 |
| a pct90 | 90,110 |
| h mean | 28 |
| h median | 24 |
The day-to-day work of a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators typically centers on start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and Monitoring. Across the top 7 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.18 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators, the most common entry qualification is a Less than a High School Diploma (41.0%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Hawaii at $108,570 and lowest in Mississippi at $38,490 — a 2.8× spread. The top five states (Hawaii, Alaska, California, Wisconsin, Washington) average $88,464. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $108,570 | $92,870 | $49,990 | $119,180 | — |
| Alaska | $97,670 | $86,550 | $57,010 | $100,410 | 100 |
| California | $79,460 | $90,010 | $51,540 | $132,240 | 1,920 |
| Wisconsin | $79,440 | $74,050 | $49,050 | $90,680 | 1,480 |
| Washington | $77,180 | $87,340 | $61,580 | $128,590 | 390 |
| Missouri | $70,520 | $67,740 | $38,470 | $90,910 | 1,550 |
| District of Columbia | $70,030 | $72,870 | $48,210 | $88,950 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $68,920 | $72,030 | $49,260 | $98,430 | 1,130 |
| Illinois | $66,130 | $72,030 | $38,640 | $102,490 | 1,300 |
| New York | $63,860 | $76,360 | $47,840 | $107,040 | 4,200 |
| Rhode Island | $61,440 | $62,030 | $44,920 | $83,190 | 150 |
| Ohio | $61,290 | $62,020 | $38,510 | $80,940 | 2,220 |
| Oregon | $61,050 | $64,800 | $48,920 | $82,280 | 250 |
| New Hampshire | $60,950 | $62,160 | $39,800 | $78,330 | 310 |
| Nevada | $60,680 | $62,310 | $37,680 | $80,940 | 140 |
| Arizona | $60,450 | $56,210 | $30,780 | $74,640 | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $60,450 | $66,450 | $50,340 | $86,420 | 1,050 |
| Iowa | $60,230 | $57,020 | $47,950 | $64,670 | 170 |
| Connecticut | $59,710 | $69,530 | $53,490 | $98,670 | 160 |
| Montana | $58,980 | $58,500 | $45,150 | $78,000 | 240 |
| Wyoming | $58,930 | $57,070 | $48,570 | $64,660 | 110 |
| Maryland | $58,720 | $56,530 | $41,970 | $64,490 | 760 |
| South Dakota | $57,610 | $58,130 | $47,990 | $72,790 | 180 |
| West Virginia | $57,140 | $59,450 | $40,020 | $76,810 | 390 |
| Indiana | $56,960 | $62,570 | $43,260 | $93,180 | 860 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,600 | $56,460 | $42,550 | $72,390 | 510 |
| Michigan | $54,690 | $57,770 | $45,960 | $74,800 | 2,160 |
| Maine | $54,340 | $58,290 | $41,340 | $80,180 | 370 |
| Vermont | $53,580 | $55,660 | $46,910 | $64,160 | 80 |
| Kansas | $53,540 | $56,250 | $39,770 | $77,840 | 660 |
| Colorado | $53,430 | $54,700 | $40,330 | $70,730 | 1,260 |
| Nebraska | $48,900 | $48,570 | $34,660 | $64,420 | 280 |
| Tennessee | $48,690 | $48,390 | $34,450 | $62,810 | 1,550 |
| Idaho | $48,270 | $51,820 | $41,050 | $61,320 | 110 |
| New Jersey | $48,070 | $58,590 | $41,210 | $109,660 | 850 |
| Delaware | $48,000 | $48,900 | $28,750 | $80,980 | 240 |
| Utah | $47,890 | $53,320 | $43,110 | $70,270 | 540 |
| North Carolina | $47,620 | $48,460 | $38,050 | $57,910 | 1,310 |
| Oklahoma | $47,230 | $48,910 | $38,930 | $55,220 | 480 |
| Virginia | $46,850 | $48,250 | $37,160 | $58,490 | 2,180 |
| Texas | $46,810 | $46,650 | $35,710 | $57,540 | 5,140 |
| New Mexico | $45,820 | $46,300 | $36,220 | $59,550 | 1,060 |
| Kentucky | $45,650 | $49,150 | $38,800 | $63,040 | 150 |
| South Carolina | $45,290 | $45,080 | $33,610 | $56,370 | 590 |
| Florida | $44,810 | $45,490 | $36,980 | $56,730 | 3,000 |
| Louisiana | $44,720 | $44,570 | $33,930 | $51,110 | 230 |
| Georgia | $44,600 | $46,520 | $37,400 | $56,570 | 1,440 |
| Arkansas | $40,860 | $42,890 | $34,780 | $49,510 | 510 |
| Alabama | $39,000 | $43,200 | $31,100 | $63,740 | 740 |
| Mississippi | $38,490 | $40,180 | $30,320 | $50,780 | 570 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Asphalt Distributor Operator or Asphalt Distributor Tender frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators compares to others in the 47 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.