Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 145,900 people employed as highway maintenance workers in the United States. The median annual salary is $45,880. Entry level employees earn approximately $29,130 per year and senior employees earn approximately $60,970 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• 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.
• Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.
• Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
• Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
• Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
• Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
• Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.
• Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.
• 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.

Career List