Paving Equipment Operator

Explore This Path

Enjoy hands-on work shaping roads, runways, and parking lots with precision equipment.
Play a crucial role in infrastructure development, ensuring smooth and safe surfaces.
Operate advanced machinery to transform raw materials into essential public pathways.

💰 Earn $59K-$112K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 MONTH TRAINING

📈 3.9% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll Do

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.

Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials.
Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.
Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
Coordinate truck dumping.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Good (Increasing by 1-5%)

Training Time

6 months to 1 year

Job Openings

3,900 Annually

Median Earnings

$76,840 in California

$48,980 Nationally

$25K

$50K

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$125K

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$175K

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$250K

Real Talk Reel

Want to see what it's like to be a Paving Equipment Operator? We've curated a playlist for you to get a glimpse into a day in the life.

@teamelmers

@chat_cte

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Listening
Coordination
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Operations Monitoring
Speaking

You value 🙏

Having support
Having freedom
Personal relationships

Deep Dive

Paving Equipment Operator

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Associate's Degree

An associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-3 years

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 4-5+ years