What is a Highway Maintenance Worker?
Highway Maintenance Worker Job 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.
Daily Life Of a Highway Maintenance Worker
- Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
- Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
- Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
- Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
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Things a Highway Maintenance Worker Should Know How to Do
When polled, Highway Maintenance Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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.
Types of Highway Maintenance Worker
- Highway Worker
- Road Oiler
- Traffic Control Flagger
- Road Crew Member
- Traffic Signal Technician
Is There Job Demand for Highway Maintenance Workers?
In the United States, there were 149,900 jobs for Highway Maintenance Worker in 2016. 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.
Average Highway Maintenance Workers 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 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
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Highway Maintenance Workers may use on a daily basis:
- 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
Are there Highway Maintenance Workers education requirements?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Highway Maintenance Workers?

Highway Maintenance Workers work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Those interested in being a Highway Maintenance Worker may also be interested in:
- 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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