Trades
Paving, Surfacing, & Tamping Equipment Operators
Construction

Paver

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators lay asphalt, concrete, or other paving material on roads and streets
Paver
Everyone hates a terribly paved road. And a poorly paved sidewalk. Leard to build, repair, and maintain the vital infrastucture across the US!
Why Should You Consider This Career?

1. High Pay, 2. High Job Security, 3. Great Work Environment

TYPICAL SALARY
$80k
That's $3,300 per bi-weekly paycheck
CAREER OUTLOOK
Growing
That's 2000 new jobs in Utah per year (30% growth)
Less Physical                                         More Physical
—————|————
Less Training                                          More Training
—————|————
More Structure                                     Less Structure
—————|————
ALTERNATIVE JOB TITLES:
Asphalt Paver Operator, Asphalt Paving Machine Operator, Asphalt Raker, Asphalt Roller Operator, Equipment Operator (EO), Loader Operator, Maintenance Equipment Operator (MEO), Paver Operator, Roller Operator, Screed Operator

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.

At A Glance in US
2028 JOB GROWTH
Wage loader
398,000 (35%)
SALARY RANGE
This is some text inside of a div block.
AVG. JOBS / YEAR
398,000 (35%)
TIME TO JOURNEYMAN
398,000 (35%)
ALTERNATIVE JOB TITLES:
Asphalt Paver Operator, Asphalt Paving Machine Operator, Asphalt Raker, Asphalt Roller Operator, Equipment Operator (EO), Loader Operator, Maintenance Equipment Operator (MEO), Paver Operator, Roller Operator, Screed Operator
A Typical Day Icon

Your Typical Day:

  • 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.
  • Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites.
  • Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
  • Set up and tear down equipment.
  • Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
  • Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.
wage icon

Wages in the US:

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$
35.03
Per Hour Base Income
$TBD
Total Compensation
Your Responsibilities Icon

Your Responsibilities

  • Operate road-surfacing equipment.
  • Load materials into construction equipment.
  • Direct construction or extraction personnel.
  • Monitor construction operations.
  • Coordinate construction project activities.
  • Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
  • Assemble temporary equipment or structures.
  • Clean equipment or facilities.
  • Dismantle equipment or temporary structures.
  • Inspect equipment or tools to be used in construction or excavation.
Your Knowledge Icon

Knowledge You Will Learn

  • Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. 66/100

  • Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. 57/100

  • Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. 44/100

  • Physics

Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes. 44/100

  • Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. 44/100

  • Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. 43/100

  • Chemistry

Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods. 37/100

  • Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. 36/100

  • Design

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. 36/100

  • Law and Government

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. 35/100

Tools of the Trade Icon

Tools of the Trade

  • Road pavers
  • Rollers
  • Paving material mixers
  • Bituminous material distributors
  • Asphalt finishers
  • Curbing machines
  • Snowplow attachments
  • Measuring tapes
  • Screwdrivers
  • Graders
  • Flatbed trailers
  • Levels
  • Rakes
  • Road surface heater planers
  • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
  • Pneumatic hammer
  • Concrete paving strike offs
  • Paving breakers
  • Kettle exchangers
  • Non contact sensors
  • Tampers
  • String or twine
  • Straight edges
  • Cold planers
  • Paint sprayers
  • Claw hammer
  • Level sensors or transmitters
  • Power saws
  • Two way radios
  • Dump trucks
  • Compactors
  • Respirators
  • Nut drivers
  • Milling machines
  • Locking pliers
  • Chip Spreaders
  • Desktop computers
  • Adjustable wrenches
  • Personal computers
  • Wheel loaders
  • Skid steer loaders
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