Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$38K
P25$46K
P50$53K
P75$65K
P90$92K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
→
Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $53,331 to $64,730 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Paving pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 3.3% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.4 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is $53,331 per year ($25.64/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $45,614 and $64,730 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $92,227 per year. There are approximately 41,820 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
47K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
NAICS 237300
16K
$51,700
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
NAICS 238900
13K
$54,200
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
6K
$56,040
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
NAICS 324100
2K
$58,670
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors
NAICS 238100
880
$58,970
Wage range across top 5 industries: $51,700 to $58,970 (14% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.38
$38,230
P25
$21.93
$45,614
P50MEDIAN
$25.64
$53,331
P75
$31.12
$64,730
P90
$44.34
$92,227
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.7%
Quits Rate
1.5%
Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary?
The national median salary for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is $53,331 per year ($25.64/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $45,614 and $64,730 annually.
How much do top-earning paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is $92,227 per year ($44.34/hr). The 75th percentile is $64,730 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators?
Entry-level Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $38,230 per year ($18.38/hr). The 25th percentile is $45,614 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
