SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-2071.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $38,230 | $3,186 | $735 | $18.38 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $45,610 | $3,801 | $877 | $21.93 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $53,340 | $4,445 | $1,026 | $25.64 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $64,720 | $5,393 | $1,245 | $31.12 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $92,230 | $7,686 | $1,774 | $44.34 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is $53,340, which is 5% higher. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 37 by median pay. With 41,820 jobs, it makes up about 2.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($59,000) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($111,360), District of Columbia ($91,280) and Washington ($90,530). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($29,460), Mississippi ($37,030) and Alabama ($41,880). The most jobs were in New York (4,530), Texas (3,940) and Florida (2,740). The occupation is most concentrated in New Mexico, where its share of all jobs is 4.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | not published | $111,360 | $96,920 | $53.54 |
| District of Columbia | 70 | $91,280 | $80,320 | $43.88 |
| Washington | 530 | $90,530 | $90,790 | $43.53 |
| Alaska | 80 | $83,520 | $83,530 | $40.15 |
| California | 1,400 | $83,130 | $94,440 | $39.97 |
| Connecticut | not published | $77,480 | $77,210 | $37.25 |
| Idaho | 130 | $73,210 | $76,060 | $35.20 |
| Illinois | 950 | $73,060 | $77,180 | $35.13 |
| Missouri | 1,560 | $69,400 | $70,190 | $33.37 |
| Wisconsin | 960 | $69,020 | $68,570 | $33.18 |
| Minnesota | 830 | $68,180 | $71,850 | $32.78 |
| Oregon | 520 | $63,310 | $69,920 | $30.44 |
| Rhode Island | 160 | $63,060 | $67,140 | $30.32 |
| New York | 4,530 | $62,760 | $72,330 | $30.17 |
| New Hampshire | 260 | $62,080 | $64,440 | $29.85 |
| Iowa | not published | $61,110 | $60,140 | $29.38 |
| Massachusetts | 560 | $60,950 | $64,620 | $29.31 |
| Maryland | 750 | $60,530 | $64,370 | $29.10 |
| Ohio | 2,370 | $60,280 | $63,010 | $28.98 |
| South Dakota | 130 | $60,140 | $61,370 | $28.92 |
| Colorado | 920 | $58,810 | $57,140 | $28.28 |
| Wyoming | 160 | $58,080 | $59,120 | $27.92 |
| Maine | 250 | $57,020 | $61,100 | $27.42 |
| Pennsylvania | 520 | $56,010 | $56,370 | $26.93 |
| Montana | 260 | $55,920 | $58,300 | $26.89 |
| Vermont | 70 | $54,830 | $56,820 | $26.36 |
| Michigan | 1,720 | $54,220 | $54,880 | $26.07 |
| Delaware | 150 | $54,020 | $51,570 | $25.97 |
| Arizona | 170 | $52,140 | $59,760 | $25.07 |
| Nevada | not published | $51,400 | $57,210 | $24.71 |
| West Virginia | 210 | $51,230 | $55,160 | $24.63 |
| New Jersey | 840 | $50,500 | $56,050 | $24.28 |
| Indiana | 910 | $50,380 | $57,670 | $24.22 |
| Kansas | 540 | $49,070 | $54,410 | $23.59 |
| Utah | 410 | $48,860 | $54,760 | $23.49 |
| Louisiana | 350 | $48,450 | $53,140 | $23.29 |
| Virginia | 1,660 | $48,060 | $49,640 | $23.10 |
| North Carolina | 1,940 | $47,820 | $49,230 | $22.99 |
| Texas | 3,940 | $47,060 | $48,940 | $22.63 |
| South Carolina | 630 | $46,950 | $47,340 | $22.57 |
| Florida | 2,740 | $46,840 | $48,530 | $22.52 |
| Oklahoma | 550 | $46,760 | $48,050 | $22.48 |
| Georgia | 1,270 | $46,100 | $47,540 | $22.16 |
| New Mexico | 990 | $45,880 | $47,700 | $22.06 |
| Nebraska | 390 | $45,760 | $49,810 | $22.00 |
| Kentucky | 110 | $45,660 | $47,810 | $21.95 |
| Arkansas | 490 | $44,010 | $44,060 | $21.16 |
| Tennessee | 1,730 | $42,510 | $45,850 | $20.44 |
| Alabama | 700 | $41,880 | $43,370 | $20.14 |
| Mississippi | 470 | $37,030 | $40,780 | $17.80 |
| Puerto Rico | 230 | $29,460 | $30,210 | $14.16 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles$56,460 a year
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- Solar Photovoltaic Installers$53,140 a year
- Paperhangers$52,140 a year
- Floor Sanders and Finishers$50,440 a year
Common questions
How much do Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $53,340 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,230 and the highest-paid 10% more than $92,230.
How many people work as Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators?
About 41,820 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.