What Does it Take to Be a Highway Maintenance Worker?
Occupation Description Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement, repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road or plow snow from roadway.
A Day in the Life of a Highway Maintenance Worker
- Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
- Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
- Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.
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Skills Needed to be a Highway Maintenance Worker
Below is a list of the skills most Highway Maintenance Workers say are important on the job.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Maintenance Worker
- Certified Flagger
- Materials Handling Equipment Operator
- Transportation Technician
- Road Worker
Are There Job Opportunities for Highway Maintenance Workers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 149,900 jobs in the United States for Highway Maintenance Worker. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 10,300 new jobs for Highway Maintenance Worker by 2026. There will be an estimated 16,500 positions for Highway Maintenance Worker per year.
The states with the most job growth for Highway Maintenance Worker are Texas, Utah, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in New Jersey, Vermont, or Delaware. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Highway Maintenance Worker Salary
The average yearly salary of a Highway Maintenance Worker ranges between $26,030 and $59,420.
Highway Maintenance Workers who work in California, Connecticut, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
How much do Highway Maintenance Workers make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $30,150 |
| Alaska | $42,670 |
| Arizona | $39,130 |
| Arkansas | $30,070 |
| California | $57,070 |
| Colorado | $42,690 |
| Connecticut | $52,940 |
| Delaware | $39,390 |
| Florida | $35,780 |
| Georgia | $29,590 |
| Hawaii | $43,060 |
| Idaho | $40,920 |
| Illinois | $49,680 |
| Indiana | $36,830 |
| Iowa | $47,580 |
| Kansas | $35,660 |
| Kentucky | $33,300 |
| Louisiana | $31,260 |
| Maine | $35,610 |
| Maryland | $37,710 |
| Massachusetts | $50,000 |
| Michigan | $42,990 |
| Minnesota | $48,970 |
| Mississippi | $27,260 |
| Missouri | $35,520 |
| Montana | $44,480 |
| Nebraska | $36,920 |
| Nevada | $43,830 |
| New Hampshire | $37,910 |
| New Jersey | $44,550 |
| New Mexico | $34,960 |
| New York | $45,880 |
| North Carolina | $36,680 |
| North Dakota | $47,370 |
| Ohio | $42,000 |
| Oklahoma | $33,070 |
| Oregon | $50,320 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,630 |
| Rhode Island | $45,130 |
| South Carolina | $29,980 |
| South Dakota | $34,650 |
| Tennessee | $32,130 |
| Texas | $37,700 |
| Utah | $40,740 |
| Vermont | $42,050 |
| Virginia | $37,460 |
| Washington | $52,230 |
| West Virginia | $38,830 |
| Wisconsin | $43,110 |
| Wyoming | $41,730 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Highway Maintenance Workers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Highway Maintenance Workers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
Becoming a Highway Maintenance Worker
What kind of Highway Maintenance Worker requirements are there?
What work experience do I need to become a Highway Maintenance Worker?
Where do Highway Maintenance Workers Work?
Highway Maintenance Workers work in the following industries:
Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Highway Maintenance Worker might also be interested in the following careers:
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
- Helpers–Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
Those who work as a Highway Maintenance Worker sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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