National
| Median wages (2008) |
$16.35 hourly, $34,000 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
145,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Average (7% to 13%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
39,000 additional employees |
47-4051.00 - Highway Maintenance Workers
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.
Sample of reported job titles:
Equipment Operator (EO), Highway Maintenance Worker, Highway Maintainer, Highway Maintenance Technician, Transportation Maintenance Specialist (TMS), Truck Driver, Transportation Maintenance Operator, Highway Maintenance Crew Worker, Highway Worker, Heavy Equipment Operator
Tasks
- Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
- Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
- Drive trucks or tractors with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, and remove snow and ice.
- Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
- Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
- Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
- Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Aggregate spreaders — Hydraulic spreaders; Sand spreaders; Stone box spreaders |
| Drain or pipe cleaning equipment — Catch basin vacuum cleaners; Culvert cleaners; Sewer cleaners; Sewer eels |
| Dump trucks — 10-ton tandem-axle dump trucks; 8-ton dump trucks; Belly dump tractor trailers |
| Front end loaders — Four-wheel drive front end loaders; Two-wheel drive front end loaders |
| Mowers — Rear brush hog mowers; Rear flail mowers; Side-mount rotary mowers; Tractor-mounted mowers |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Data base user interface and query software — Database software |
| Office suite software — Microsoft Office software |
| Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software — Microsoft Word |
