Highway Maintenance Workers

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.

Also Known As:

Equipment Operator (EO) Highway Maintainer Highway Maintenance Crew Worker Highway Maintenance Technician Highway Maintenance Worker Maintenance Technician Maintenance Worker Transportation Maintenance Operator Transportation Maintenance Specialist (TMS) Transportation Worker

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Highway Maintenance Workers in United States

Job Outlook Average

New job opportunities are likely in the future

United States 2033 Projected Employment

166,500

4% Change From 2023

Explore Highway Maintenance Workers video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.
Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
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.
Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.
Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.
Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
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.
Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.