Jobs for Former Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

Also called: Paving Equipment Operators

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators build operations monitoring, operation and control and troubleshooting skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (91%).

Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers

Skills you enjoy

Pick the skills you want to keep using. The list re-ranks.

Sorted by skill match.

25 careers that use your skills

#	Career	Skill match	Median pay	Pay change	Extra education
1	Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining	91%	$57,430	+8%	None
2	Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators	83%	$70,070	+31%	None
3	Roustabouts, Oil and Gas	81%	$46,960	−12%	None
4	Continuous Mining Machine Operators	81%	$61,810	+16%	None
5	Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas	80%	$60,190	+13%	None
6	Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters	78%	$47,550	−11%	None
7	Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons	77%	$61,290	+15%	None
8	Hoist and Winch Operators	77%	$56,450	+6%	None
9	Millwrights	77%	$65,700	+23%	None
10	Highway Maintenance Workers	77%	$50,260	−6%	None

1Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
91%
Median pay
$57,430
Pay change
+8%
Extra educationNone
2Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
83%
Median pay
$70,070
Pay change
+31%
Extra educationNone
3Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
81%
Median pay
$46,960
Pay change
−12%
Extra educationNone
4Continuous Mining Machine Operators
81%
Median pay
$61,810
Pay change
+16%
Extra educationNone
5Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
80%
Median pay
$60,190
Pay change
+13%
Extra educationNone
6Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
78%
Median pay
$47,550
Pay change
−11%
Extra educationNone
7Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons
77%
Median pay
$61,290
Pay change
+15%
Extra educationNone
8Hoist and Winch Operators
77%
Median pay
$56,450
Pay change
+6%
Extra educationNone
9Millwrights
77%
Median pay
$65,700
Pay change
+23%
Extra educationNone
10Highway Maintenance Workers
77%
Median pay
$50,260
Pay change
−6%
Extra educationNone

Compared with Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators, median $53,340. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.

Your transferable skills

How important each skill is in work as paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).

Operations Monitoring3.62

Operation and Control3.38

Troubleshooting3.00

Repairing3.00

Coordination3.00

Judgment and Decision Making2.88

Skills to learn

The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.

Management of Personnel Resources
Persuasion
Instructing
Management of Material Resources

Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.

Your top 3 moves, up close

A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

91% skill match · $57,430 · +8% pay

First step

Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (71% of workers).
On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.

Skills to add

Persuasion · Management of Personnel Resources · Operation and Control

Is this right for you?

Work outdoors in all weather
Mistakes can have serious consequences
Tight deadlines are common

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

83% skill match · $70,070 · +31% pay

First step

On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.

Skills to add

Management of Material Resources · Management of Personnel Resources · Management of Financial Resources

Is this right for you?

Work outdoors in all weather
Mistakes can have serious consequences

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

81% skill match · $46,960 · −12% pay

First step

Most common education: Less than a High School Diploma (64% of workers).
On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.

Skills to add

Management of Personnel Resources · Social Perceptiveness · Management of Material Resources

Is this right for you?

Work outdoors in all weather
Tight deadlines are common
Long hours on your feet

Similar roles in the same field

If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.

Free help near you

Former paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators can get free career counseling, job search help and, if you qualify, help paying for training through American Job Centers, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Find an American Job Center Find training programs

Links go to CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Questions former paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators ask

What jobs can former paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators do?

The closest matches are Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (91% skill match, median $57,430), Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (83% skill match, median $70,070) and Roustabouts, Oil and Gas (81% skill match, median $46,960), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.

Which paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operator career changes pay more?

Among the 25 matches, 17 pay more than paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators at the median. The biggest increases: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+79%, $95,320), Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators (+45%, $77,320) and Commercial Divers (+37%, $72,990).

Do former paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators need another degree?

23 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.

How is the skill match calculated?

We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.

Keep exploring

Sources. Skills, tasks and education: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Data Sources & Licenses