BLS metro-level wage data places Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Duluth, MN-WI at a median of $68,180 per year ($32.78/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $53,340, Duluth pays +28% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 50 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operatorss are employed across the Duluth MSA in SOC 47-2071.

The Duluth pay distribution spans from $58,120 at the 10th percentile to $92,010 at the 90th — a 1.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $62,290 and the 75th at $82,460, so half of Duluth-based paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operatorss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Duluth, MN-WI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.