Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 47-2071

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

The published band from $38,230 to $92,230 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Roof Bolters, Mining.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators: Roof Bolters, Mining ($79K) , Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters ($64K) , Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas ($68K) , Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other ($70K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2071 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine…
  2. 2. Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials
  3. 3. Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds
  4. 4. Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material
  5. 5. Coordinate truck dumping
  6. 6. Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites
  7. 7. Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors
  8. 8. Set up and tear down equipment
  9. 9. Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds
  10. 10. Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates
  11. 11. Control traffic
  12. 12. Place strips of material, such as cork, asphalt, or steel into joints, or place rolls of expansion-joint material on machines that automa…

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2071 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.6 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.4
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.3
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.0
  5. 5. Coordination 3.0
  6. 6. Troubleshooting 3.0
  7. 7. Repairing 3.0
  8. 8. Active Listening 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 3.6
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.3
  3. 3. Mathematics 2.8
  4. 4. Physics 2.7
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 2.7
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 2.7
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$38,230 to $92,230
median $53,340 · ~2.4× spread
$53K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
4,000
Annual openings
41,820
Estimated US jobs
Roof Bolters, Mining
Highest-pay peer · $79K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

1. Wisconsin $69,020
2. District of Columbia $91,280
3. Alaska $83,520
4. Idaho $73,210
5. Connecticut $77,480
6. Washington $90,530
7. California $83,130
8. Illinois $73,060
9. Hawaii $111,360
10. Missouri $69,400

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas $67,890
  2. 2. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  3. 3. Tapers $68,270
  4. 4. Roof Bolters, Mining $78,540
  5. 5. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  6. 6. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $63,800

The OEWS band for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators runs from $38,230 (10th) to $92,230 (90th), about 2.4× wide, with median $53,340. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Wisconsin at $69,020. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Roof Bolters, Mining at $78,540. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay-rank #37 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators sits at pay-rank #37 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2071

Wisconsin · top state for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

$69K published median

District of Columbia · #2 state pay

$91K · behind Wisconsin

Roof Bolters, Mining

Highest-pay peer vs Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators · $79K

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Lower-pay peer beside Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators · $64K

Compare Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #37 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Solar Photovoltaic Installers ($53K), Paperhangers ($52K), Roofers ($55K), Tile and Stone Setters ($56K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators. Leading ones include: Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine…; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators? ▼
For SOC 47-2071, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.6), Operation and Control (3.4), Monitoring (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $38,230 and the 90th at $92,230 for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (2.4× spread). The national median is $53,340. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is +3%. Projected annual openings: about 4,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators? ▼
Wisconsin ($69,020), District of Columbia ($91,280), Alaska ($83,520) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2071. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics