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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

Also called: Equipment Operator (EO), Paver Operator, Roller Operator, Screed Operator

What they 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.

On the job, you would:
  • Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
  • Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials.
  • Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.
On the job, you'll need:

Engineering and Technology

  • building and construction
  • mechanical

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Basic Skills

  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Controlled Movement

  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
  • use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down

Hand and Finger Use

  • hold or move items with your hands
  • keep your arm or hand steady

Realistic

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Independence
  • Self Control
  • Achievement/Effort

Electronic mail software

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook

Spreadsheet software

  • Microsoft Excel

Office suite software

  • Microsoft Office software

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $47,270

Education

No high school diploma/GED or high school diploma/GED is usually needed.

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