Construction & Extraction

Paving & Surfacing Operators

SOC 47-2071

Run the machines that pave roads and surfaces.

The job

Median pay

$53k

$46k to $65k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Declining

-0.9% projected

Openings a year

BLS projection

Typical education

High school

Our model

AI displacement risk

Moderate

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

8/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

40th pct

More exposed than 40% of occupations · modeled estimate · 1st pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

46/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Construction Equipment OperatorsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostWashington DC leads at $91k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Paving & Surfacing Operators and explore its neighbours See open jobsPaving & Surfacing Operators roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Paving & Surfacing Operators, who lean most on monitoring Real pay & reviewsWhat Paving & Surfacing Operators say they actually earn

Key skills

Monitoring
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Speaking
Active Learning
Reading Comprehension

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
New York	4,530	0.5	1.7×	$63k
Texas	3,940	0.3	1.0×	$47k
Florida	2,740	0.3	1.0×	$47k
Ohio	2,370	0.4	1.6×	$60k
North Carolina	1,940	0.4	1.5×	$48k
Tennessee	1,730	0.5	2.0×	$43k
Michigan	1,720	0.4	1.4×	$54k
Virginia	1,660	0.4	1.5×	$48k
Missouri	1,560	0.5	2.0×	$69k
California	1,400	0.1	0.3×	$83k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Georgia	1,270	0.3	1.0×	$46k
New Mexico	990	1.1	4.2×	$46k
Wisconsin	960	0.3	1.2×	$69k
Illinois	950	0.2	0.6×	$73k
Colorado	920	0.3	1.2×	$59k
Indiana	910	0.3	1.1×	$50k
New Jersey	840	0.2	0.7×	$51k
Minnesota	830	0.3	1.1×	$68k
Maryland	750	0.3	1.0×	$61k
Alabama	700	0.3	1.2×	$42k
South Carolina	630	0.3	1.0×	$47k
Nevada	583	0.4	1.4×	$51k~
Massachusetts	560	0.2	0.6×	$61k
Oklahoma	550	0.3	1.2×	$47k
Kansas	540	0.4	1.4×	$49k
Washington	530	0.1	0.6×	$91k
Oregon	520	0.3	1.0×	$63k
Pennsylvania	520	0.1	0.3×	$56k
Arkansas	490	0.4	1.4×	$44k
Mississippi	470	0.4	1.5×	$37k
Iowa	459	0.3	1.1×	$61k~
Utah	410	0.2	0.9×	$49k
Nebraska	390	0.4	1.4×	$46k
Louisiana	350	0.2	0.7×	$48k
Connecticut	333	0.2	0.7×	$77k~
Montana	260	0.5	1.9×	$56k
New Hampshire	260	0.4	1.4×	$62k
Maine	250	0.4	1.4×	$57k
North Dakota	226	0.5	2.0×	$55k~
West Virginia	210	0.3	1.1×	$51k
Hawaii	193	0.3	1.1×	$111k~
Arizona	170	0.1	0.2×	$52k
Rhode Island	160	0.3	1.2×	$63k
Wyoming	160	0.6	2.1×	$58k
Delaware	150	0.3	1.1×	$54k
Idaho	130	0.2	0.6×	$73k
South Dakota	130	0.3	1.1×	$60k
Kentucky	110	0.1	0.2×	$46k
Alaska	80	0.2	0.9×	$84k
Washington DC	70	0.1	0.4×	$91k
Vermont	70	0.2	0.9×	$55k

Top metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ3,440 jobs · $63k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV980 jobs · $59k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX940 jobs · $50k median
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX870 jobs · $47k median
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA770 jobs · $46k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN740 jobs · $80k median
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI580 jobs · $51k median
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL570 jobs · $47k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.