Your work. Your records.
Paving Equipment Operator Workplace Guide
Paving equipment work depends on machine operation, material supply and coordination with other workers. A workplace concern about surface quality or output should identify your assigned controls and the conditions that changed during the run.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Machine role
List the controls or operation assigned to you and when another worker took over.
Supply delay
Record when material flow stopped and the instruction affecting your work during the interruption.
Quality direction
Note who requested an adjustment or additional pass and when that direction was received.
Start with the work you actually do
Operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways or for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. Includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (47-2071.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.Source task 4796 · updated 08/2020
- Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials.Source task 4809 · updated 08/2020
- Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.Source task 4807 · updated 08/2020
- Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.Source task 4805 · updated 08/2020
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2071). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17.74 | $20.14 | $23.61 | $41,880 |
| Alaska | $32.13 | $40.15 | $48.19 | $83,520 |
| Arizona | $23.97 | $25.07 | $36.40 | $52,140 |
| Arkansas | $18.29 | $21.16 | $23.41 | $44,010 |
| Connecticut | $29.44 | $37.25 | $46.23 | $77,480 |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $25.97 | $28.16 | $54,020 |
| Florida | $19.30 | $22.52 | $24.97 | $46,840 |
| Georgia | $18.92 | $22.16 | $23.66 | $46,100 |
| Hawaii | $40.05 | $53.54 | $53.54 | $111,360 |
| Idaho | $27.43 | $35.20 | $46.28 | $73,210 |
| Indiana | $22.17 | $24.22 | $32.28 | $50,380 |
| Iowa | $27.45 | $29.38 | $29.39 | $61,110 |
| Kansas | $22.07 | $23.59 | $29.06 | $49,070 |
| Kentucky | $19.58 | $21.95 | $23.83 | $45,660 |
| Louisiana | $20.95 | $23.29 | $30.78 | $48,450 |
| Maine | $23.84 | $27.42 | $35.90 | $57,020 |
| Michigan | $21.84 | $26.07 | $29.99 | $54,220 |
| Minnesota | $29.78 | $32.78 | $38.68 | $68,180 |
| Mississippi | $16.09 | $17.80 | $21.76 | $37,030 |
| Missouri | $23.52 | $33.37 | $44.43 | $69,400 |
| Montana | $23.50 | $26.89 | $32.78 | $55,920 |
| Nebraska | $20.91 | $22.00 | $25.71 | $45,760 |
| New Hampshire | $27.30 | $29.85 | $34.87 | $62,080 |
| New Mexico | $19.21 | $22.06 | $24.73 | $45,880 |
| New York | $27.33 | $30.17 | $47.17 | $62,760 |
| North Carolina | $19.54 | $22.99 | $25.91 | $47,820 |
| Ohio | $22.83 | $28.98 | $38.27 | $60,280 |
| Oklahoma | $21.48 | $22.48 | $24.15 | $46,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $23.42 | $26.93 | $30.58 | $56,010 |
| Rhode Island | $28.56 | $30.32 | $37.30 | $63,060 |
| South Dakota | $26.36 | $28.92 | $33.50 | $60,140 |
| Tennessee | $18.16 | $20.44 | $24.88 | $42,510 |
| Texas | $20.01 | $22.63 | $26.25 | $47,060 |
| Utah | $22.08 | $23.49 | $30.03 | $48,860 |
| Vermont | $24.00 | $26.36 | $29.83 | $54,830 |
| Virginia | $20.96 | $23.10 | $27.70 | $48,060 |
| West Virginia | $21.81 | $24.63 | $28.07 | $51,230 |
| Wisconsin | $24.22 | $33.18 | $43.86 | $69,020 |
| Wyoming | $24.97 | $27.92 | $31.45 | $58,080 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the paving assignment
Record the general surface area, machine role and instruction provided at the start. Note when material or sequence changes were directed. Keep a planned pass separate from additional work requested after a review.
Trace material-flow interruptions
Describe when supply, truck movement or equipment availability interrupted the run and whom you notified. Record any instruction to adjust distribution or wait. Separate the surface condition you observed from a later conclusion about its cause.
Keep site records controlled
Retain your own time entries and permitted employment instructions. Do not remove customer plans, vehicle location exports or restricted project logs. Identify the relevant dispatch, production or inspection record and its custodian for review.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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