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Highway Maintenance Workers in Texas
Want to work as a Highway Maintenance Workers in Texas? Below are the key facts. Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway. Excludes “Tree Trimmers and Pruners” (37-3013).
What do Highway Maintenance Workers Make in Texas?
The highway maintenance workers working in Texas, the typical annual salary is $42,180 per year (or roughly $20.28/hour).Pay can range from $32,040 at the 10th percentile to $55,460 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $32,040 | $15.40 |
| 25th percentile | $36,970 | $17.78 |
| Median (50th) | $42,180 | $20.28 |
| 75th percentile | $48,400 | $23.27 |
| 90th percentile | $55,460 | $26.67 |
The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Texas relative to the national average — is 0.51, meaning fewer highway maintenance workers per worker than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, highway maintenance workers earn a median of $48,880 per year ($23.50/hour), lower than the Texas median.
Employment Outlook
There are roughly 108,425 highway maintenance workers nationwide. In Texas alone, approximately 6,950 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 2,110 highway maintenance workers.
Top Texas Metros for Highway Maintenance Workers
The metro areas below employ the most highway maintenance workers in Texas.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,360 | $45,470 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 960 | $44,830 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 680 | $48,840 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 390 | $41,460 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 230 | $32,040 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 170 | $37,000 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 130 | $32,340 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 120 | $41,420 |
| El Paso, TX | 120 | $38,800 |
| Abilene, TX | 100 | $43,050 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 100 | $34,890 |
| Longview, TX | 100 | $36,860 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 90 | $45,930 |
| Waco, TX | 90 | $36,970 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 80 | $38,260 |
| Lubbock, TX | 50 | $42,030 |
| Victoria, TX | 50 | $42,690 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 50 | $33,500 |
| Amarillo, TX | 40 | $44,370 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 40 | $38,820 |
| Odessa, TX | 40 | $42,500 |
| Tyler, TX | 40 | $39,740 |
Top States for Highway Maintenance Workers Employment
These states have the highest employment of highway maintenance workers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| New York | 14,200 |
| Pennsylvania | 11,210 |
| Illinois | 11,050 |
| California | 7,770 |
| Texas | 6,950 |
| Ohio | 6,600 |
| New Jersey | 5,780 |
| Wisconsin | 5,530 |
| Missouri | 5,300 |
| Iowa | 4,400 |
| Michigan | 4,060 |
| Minnesota | 3,860 |
| Indiana | 3,850 |
| Mississippi | 3,850 |
| North Carolina | 3,770 |
| Virginia | 3,640 |
| Puerto Rico | 3,200 |
| Oklahoma | 2,880 |
| Alabama | 2,700 |
| Nebraska | 2,650 |
Highest-Paying States for Highway Maintenance Workers
Where highway maintenance workers earn the most: highway maintenance workers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $63,770 |
| Washington | $63,420 |
| Oregon | $62,990 |
| Alaska | $61,910 |
| Minnesota | $60,900 |
| North Dakota | $60,830 |
| Montana | $60,730 |
| Massachusetts | $59,240 |
| California | $58,300 |
| Illinois | $58,130 |
Skills
The most important highway maintenance workers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Key abilities for highway maintenance workers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Day-to-day, highway maintenance workers typically:
- Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
- Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
- Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
- Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
- 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.
- Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
- Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
- Perform roadside landscaping work, such as clearing weeds and brush, and planting and trimming trees.
Work Activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Getting Information
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Developing and Building Teams
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
- Selling or Influencing Others
Tools & Technology
Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Related college programs include:
Related Careers
Careers similar to highway maintenance workers include:
- Transportation Engineers
- Construction Laborers
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
- Pile Driver Operators
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Helpers–Electricians
Also Known As
Asphalt Raker, Caltrans Equipment Operator, Certified Flagger, Construction Flagger, Equipment Operator (EO), Flagger, Highway Maintainer, Highway Maintenance Crew Worker, Highway Maintenance Technician, Highway Maintenance Worker, Highway Technician (Highway Tech), Highway Technician Associate, Highway Worker, Hot Oiler, Lane Marker Installer.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 47-4051.00
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