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Life As a Highway Maintenance Worker
Position 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
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
- Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
- Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.
- Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
- Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
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What a Highway Maintenance Worker Should Know
Highway Maintenance Workers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Other Highway Maintenance Worker Job Titles
- Highway Maintenance Crew Worker
- Road Repairer
- Equipment Operator (EO)
- Road Builder
- Road Worker
What Kind of Highway Maintenance Worker Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 149,900 jobs for Highway Maintenance Worker in 2016 (in the United States). 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 Average Salary
The salary for Highway Maintenance Workers ranges between about $26,030 and $59,420 a year.
Highway Maintenance Workers who work in California, Connecticut, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
How much do Highway Maintenance Workers make in different U.S. states?
| 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 |
What Tools do Highway Maintenance Workers Use?
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
How to Become a Highway Maintenance Worker
Education needed to be a Highway Maintenance Worker:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Highway Maintenance Workers Work?
Below are examples of industries where Highway Maintenance Workers work:
You May Also Be Interested In…
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
Career changers with experience as a Highway Maintenance Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
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