What is a Highway Maintenance Worker?
Highway Maintenance Worker Example 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.
List of Highway Maintenance Worker Job Duties
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
- Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
- Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
- Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
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Highway Maintenance Worker Needed Skills
These are the skills Highway Maintenance Workers say are the most useful in their careers:
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 Jobs
- Traffic Signal Technician
- Laborer
- Highway Maintenance Worker
- Road Oiler
- Material Handler
What Kind of Highway Maintenance Worker Job Opportunities Are There?
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. The BLS estimates 16,500 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
Do Highway Maintenance Workers Make A Lot Of Money?
Highway Maintenance Workers make between $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 |
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?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Highway Maintenance Worker?

Where Highway Maintenance Workers Are Employed

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Similar 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
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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