Careers > Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

$47.27K Median Salary 5.1K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 5.8% Job Growth

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About This Career

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.

Reported 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

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Control Precision

Problem Sensitivity

Multilimb Coordination

Rate Control

Reaction Time

Far Vision

Static Strength

Trunk Strength

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Deductive Reasoning

Depth Perception

Extent Flexibility

Information Ordering

Manual Dexterity

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Response Orientation

Selective Attention

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Visualization

Knowledge

Building and Construction

Mechanical

Skills

Operations Monitoring

Operation and Control

Monitoring

Coordination

Critical Thinking

Repairing

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Electronic mail software

Spreadsheet software

Office suite software

Computer aided design CAD software

Time accounting software

Data base user interface and query software

Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software

Project management software

Word processing software

Tools

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

Abilities

Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Knowledge

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.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Skills

Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Time accounting software: Timekeeping software
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Production scheduling software
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word

Tools

Road pavers: Laydown machines; Pull type pavers
Rollers: 4-6 ton roller patchers; Patch rollers less than 9 tons; Pavement rollers
Paving material mixers: Asphalt mixing equipment; Hot mix material transfer devices; Self-propelled material transfer devices; Windrow pickup machines
Bituminous material distributors: Bitumen applicators
Asphalt finishers: Paving finishing machines; Power extendable screeds
Curbing machines: Slipform curbing pavers; Slipforming machines
Snowplow attachments: Snowplows
Measuring tapes: Precision tape measures
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Graders: 13000-23000 pound graders
Flatbed trailers: Utility trailers
Levels: Optical levels
Rakes:
Road surface heater planers: Asphalt reclaimers
Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories: Self-contained breathing apparatus
Pneumatic hammer: Underwater jackhammers
Concrete paving strike offs: Vibrating concrete screeds
Paving breakers: Pavement grinders; Pothole excavation milling machines
Kettle exchangers: Double-burner pump kettles; Single burner draw kettles; Single burner pump kettles
Non contact sensors: Intelligent field devices
Tampers: Tamping rods
String or twine: String lines
Straight edges: Straightedges
Cold planers:
Paint sprayers: High volume low pressure HVLP spray guns; Low volume high pressure LVHP sprayers; Paint spray guns; Paint sprayguns
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Level sensors or transmitters: Level transmitters
Power saws: Chain saws
Two way radios:
Dump trucks: Rock trucks
Compactors:
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Nut drivers: Magnetic nut drivers; T handle nut drivers
Milling machines: Machining centers
Locking pliers: Channel lock pliers; Vise grip pliers
Chip Spreaders: Gravelers; Hot or cold process power gravelers
Desktop computers:
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
Personal computers:
Wheel loaders: Front and back shovel wheel loaders
Skid steer loaders: Bobcats

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