SOC 47-4051.00

    Highway Maintenance Workers

    Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way.

    Median pay
    $50,260
    Growth
    +3.4%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    11,800
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $36,230
    Median
    $50,260
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $71,970
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    154,960 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Highway maintenance workers care for public roads, runways, and rights-of-way to ensure safe travel. They earn a median annual salary of $50,260 and perform vital repairs and seasonal clearing.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What highway maintenance workers do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career spend their days maintaining municipal roads, rural highways, and airport runways. Daily tasks include patching damaged pavement, repairing guard rails, fixing highway markers, and mending snow fences. Workers also clear brush, mow roadsides, and plow snow during winter storms. This role is highly realistic and hands-on, requiring strong skills in vehicle and equipment operation, control, and monitoring.

    Safety is a primary focus, requiring deep knowledge of public safety, security, and transportation. Workers must inspect equipment and materials regularly while remaining cautious and highly attentive to detail. The job demands strong cooperation and communication to coordinate tasks with supervisors and team members. Because they often work in active traffic zones, workers must maintain self-control, dependability, and high stress tolerance to keep themselves and the public safe.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, candidates typically need a high school diploma. Most preparation happens through on-the-job training or prior work experience. Students interested in this pathway can prepare by studying ground transportation in school.

    While not always mandatory to start, several professional certifications can help workers advance. The American Traffic Safety Services Association offers credentials such as Certified Flagger, Certified Guardrail Installer, Certified Truck-Mounted Attenuator Operator, and Flagger Instructor Training. Additionally, the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies provides certifications in Construction Materials Testing for both Asphalt and Concrete Level I. These credentials demonstrate specialized knowledge in building, construction, and safety standards.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for highway maintenance workers is $50,260. Earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $36,230 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $71,970.

    With 154,960 people currently employed in this field, the occupation is projected to grow by 3.4 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all jobs. This growth and normal turnover are expected to create 11,800 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    12 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    1 / 100
    Social (S)
    13 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    8 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    42 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    85
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    85
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    82
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    81
    Getting Information
    79
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    76
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    76
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    75
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    74
    Developing and Building Teams
    73
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Coordination
    • Monitoring
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Speaking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Quality Control Analysis

    Knowledge

    • Public Safety and Security
    • English Language
    • Transportation
    • Building and Construction
    • Education and Training
    • Administration and Management
    • Mechanical
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Engineering and Technology
    • Mathematics

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Static Strength
    • Auditory Attention
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Near Vision
    • Extent Flexibility

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Perseverance
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Control
    • Integrity
    • Adaptability
    • Achievement Orientation

    Also called

    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

    Career pathway

    From your interests to highway maintenance workers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Highway Maintenance Workers$50,260 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Pennsylvania College of Technology

      Williamsport, PA · Ground Transportation · Associate

      1 yr after
      $54,938
      4 yrs after
      $62,389
      Median debt
      $12,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What highway maintenance workers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
    • Flagging and Traffic Control

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about highway maintenance workers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles for this career?

    People in this field are known by many names, including highway maintenance technicians, equipment operators, asphalt rakers, and highway maintainers. They may also work as certified construction flaggers.

    What kind of education is required to start?

    A high school diploma is the typical education needed to enter this occupation. Most workers learn the necessary skills through on-the-job training and practical experience.

    How many job openings are expected in the coming years?

    There are projected to be 11,800 job openings each year in this field. This demand is driven by a steady 3.4 percent employment growth rate between 2025 and 2035.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.