# Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

> 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.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 47-2071.00
- **Summary:** 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.

## Aliases

- Equipment Operator (EO)
- Paver Operator
- Roller Operator
- Screed Operator
- Asphalt Paver Operator
- Asphalt Paving Machine Operator
- Asphalt Raker
- Asphalt Roller Operator
- Loader Operator
- Maintenance Equipment Operator (MEO)
- Asphalt Distributor Operator
- Asphalt Distributor Tender

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments. | Core | 4.A.3.a.3.c |
| Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials. | Core | 4.A.3.a.1.f |
| Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds. | Core | 4.A.3.a.3.c |
| Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material. | Core | 4.A.1.a.2.b |
| Coordinate truck dumping. | Core | 4.A.4.b.4.i |
| Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites. | Core | 4.A.3.a.4.a |
| Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors. | Core | 4.A.1.b.2.g |
| Set up and tear down equipment. | Core | 4.A.3.a.2.a |
| Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds. | Core | 4.A.3.a.1.g |
| Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates. | Core | 4.A.3.a.3.c |
| Control traffic. | Core | 4.A.3.a.2.r |
| Place strips of material, such as cork, asphalt, or steel into joints, or place rolls of expansion-joint material on machines that automatically insert material. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.1.f |

## Emerging Tasks


## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Direct vehicle traffic. | 4.A.3.a.2.r |
| Operate road-surfacing equipment. | 4.A.3.a.3.c |
| Inspect equipment or tools to be used in construction or excavation. | 4.A.1.b.2.g |
| Clean equipment or facilities. | 4.A.3.a.1.c |
| Maintain construction tools or equipment. | 4.A.3.b.5.a |
| Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures. | 4.A.3.a.1.g |
| Operate equipment or vehicles to clear construction sites or move materials. | 4.A.3.a.3.c |
| Coordinate construction project activities. | 4.A.4.b.4.i |
| Assemble temporary equipment or structures. | 4.A.3.a.2.a |
| Dismantle equipment or temporary structures. | 4.A.3.a.2.s |
| Compact materials to create level bases. | 4.A.3.a.1.g |
| Spread sand, dirt or other loose materials onto surfaces. | 4.A.3.a.1.g |
| Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment. | 4.A.3.a.4.a |
| Monitor construction operations. | 4.A.1.a.2.b |
| Direct construction or extraction personnel. | 4.A.4.b.4.i |
| Build construction forms or molds. | 4.A.3.a.2.aj |
| Mark reference points on construction materials. | 4.A.3.a.2.ao |
| Load materials into construction equipment. | 4.A.3.a.1.f |
| Operate heavy-duty construction or installation equipment. | 4.A.3.a.3.c |
| Break up rock, asphalt, or concrete. | 4.A.3.a.3.c |
| Install equipment attachments or components. | 4.A.3.a.2.at |
| Cut tile, stone, or other masonry materials. | 4.A.3.a.2.l |
| Apply material to fill gaps in surfaces. | 4.A.3.a.2.am |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Control Precision | ability | 3.75 |
| Building and Construction | knowledge | 3.65 |
| Operations Monitoring | transferable_skill | 3.62 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 3.62 |
| Operation and Control | transferable_skill | 3.38 |
| Multilimb Coordination | ability | 3.38 |
| Mechanical | knowledge | 3.26 |
| Monitoring | essential_skill | 3.25 |
| Rate Control | ability | 3.25 |
| Reaction Time | ability | 3.25 |
| Static Strength | ability | 3.12 |
| Trunk Strength | ability | 3.12 |
| Far Vision | ability | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 3 |
| Coordination | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Troubleshooting | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Repairing | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 3 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 3 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 3 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 3 |
| Visualization | ability | 3 |
| Selective Attention | ability | 3 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | ability | 3 |
| Manual Dexterity | ability | 3 |
| Response Orientation | ability | 3 |
| Extent Flexibility | ability | 3 |
| Depth Perception | ability | 3 |
| Speech Recognition | ability | 3 |
| Speech Clarity | ability | 3 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 2.88 |
| Speaking | essential_skill | 2.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | transferable_skill | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | transferable_skill | 2.88 |
| Spatial Orientation | ability | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | ability | 2.88 |
| Finger Dexterity | ability | 2.88 |
| Near Vision | ability | 2.88 |
| Mathematics | knowledge | 2.77 |
| Quality Control Analysis | transferable_skill | 2.75 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Outlook | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Depth Perception | Common Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| Finger Dexterity | Common Skill |
| Equipment Maintenance | Specialized Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Equipment Selection | Specialized Skill |
| Chemistry | Specialized Skill |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Email Software | Specialized Skill |
| Database Software | Specialized Skill |
| Psychology | Specialized Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Biology | Specialized Skill |
| Foreign Language | Common Skill |
| Installation | Specialized Skill |
| Telecommunications | Specialized Skill |
| Project Management Software | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D | Computer aided design CAD software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | yes | no |
| Database software | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Email software | Electronic mail software | no | no |
| HCSS HeavyBid | Project management software | no | no |
| Time report software | Time accounting software | no | no |
| Warehouse management system WMS | Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 4.3 |
| Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions | 4.3 |
| Exposed to Whole Body Vibration | 4.26 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Equipment | 4.26 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 4.25 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 4.23 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 4.23 |
| In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment | 4.22 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | 4.22 |
| Telephone Conversations | 4.18 |
| Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures | 4.15 |
| Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings | 4 |
| Physical Proximity | 3.95 |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions | 3.94 |
| In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment | 3.87 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 3.8 |
| Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment | 3.8 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 3.7 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 3.69 |
| Consequence of Error | 3.66 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 3.65 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 3.62 |
| Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body | 3.61 |
| Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions | 3.54 |
| Contact With Others | 3.53 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 3.48 |
| Time Pressure | 3.46 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 3.44 |
| Level of Competition | 3.29 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 3.22 |
| Spend Time Standing | 3.21 |
| Spend Time Sitting | 3.08 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 3.07 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 3.06 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 3.04 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 2.96 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 2.9 |
| Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions | 2.88 |
| Conflict Situations | 2.85 |
| Outdoors, Under Cover | 2.79 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 2
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- **Experience:** Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- **Svp Range:** (Below 6.0)

### Education Distribution

| Label | Percentage |
| --- | --- |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 40.99 |
| High School Diploma | 38.42 |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 20.59 |

## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 7 |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | specific_interest_area | 6.3 |
| Physical/Manual Labor | specific_interest_area | 5.39 |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 3.69 |
| Mechanics/Electronics | specific_interest_area | 3.58 |
| Dependability | work_style | 2.27 |
| Construction/Woodwork | specific_interest_area | 2.19 |
| Engineering | specific_interest_area | 2.17 |
| Investigative | career_interest_type | 1.72 |
| Cautiousness | work_style | 1.59 |
| Stress Tolerance | work_style | 1.24 |
| Management/Administration | specific_interest_area | 1.23 |
| Nature/Outdoors | specific_interest_area | 1.22 |
| Accounting | specific_interest_area | 1.2 |
| Attention to Detail | work_style | 1.2 |
| Mathematics/Statistics | specific_interest_area | 1.15 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 47-2061.00 | role-47-2061-00 | Construction Laborers | Primary-Short |
| 47-2073.00 | role-47-2073-00 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | Primary-Short |
| 47-4091.00 | role-47-4091-00 | Segmental Pavers | Primary-Short |
| 47-2051.00 | role-47-2051-00 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | Primary-Short |
| 47-5022.00 | role-47-5022-00 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | Primary-Short |
| 47-2072.00 | role-47-2072-00 | Pile Driver Operators | Primary-Long |
| 47-4061.00 | role-47-4061-00 | Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | Primary-Long |
| 47-2151.00 | role-47-2151-00 | Pipelayers | Primary-Long |
| 53-7041.00 | role-53-7041-00 | Hoist and Winch Operators | Primary-Long |
| 47-4051.00 | role-47-4051-00 | Highway Maintenance Workers | Primary-Long |
| 51-7042.00 | role-51-7042-00 | Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | Supplemental |
| 47-5041.00 | role-47-5041-00 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters

| Cluster | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Construction | construction |

## Education Level

- **Category:** High school diploma or equivalent

## Study Programs

| Title | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Transportation and Materials Moving | transportation-and-materials-moving |

## Market

- **Median Wage:** 51650
- **Mean Wage:** 58660
- **Pct10Wage:** 38030
- **Pct25Wage:** 44740
- **Pct75Wage:** 66060
- **Pct90Wage:** 90110
- **Employment:** 45680
- **Area Title:** U.S.

## Industries


### Top

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Median Wage | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 23 | 23 | Construction | Sector | 35500 | 51310 | 14.75 |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 1850 | 57570 | 0.49 |
| 238110 | 238110 | Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors | National industry | 1110 | 50030 | 14.48 |
| 56 | 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | Sector | 800 | 50680 | 0.3 |
| 48-49 | 48-49 | Transportation and Warehousing | Sector | 350 | 48900 | 0.16 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 340 | 43480 | 0.43 |
| 21 | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | Sector | 140 | 56630 | 0.82 |
| 237130 | 237130 | Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | National industry | 140 | 47870 | 2.02 |
| 561730 | 561730 | Landscaping Services | National industry | 140 | 61550 | 0.52 |
| 238140 | 238140 | Masonry Contractors | National industry | 130 | 56830 | 3.06 |
| 81 | 81 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | Sector | 100 | 37440 | 0.08 |
| 238220 | 238220 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | National industry |  | 50060 |  |

### Concentrated

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 23 | 23 | Construction | Sector | 35500 | 14.75 |
| 238110 | 238110 | Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors | National industry | 1110 | 14.48 |
| 238140 | 238140 | Masonry Contractors | National industry | 130 | 3.06 |
| 237130 | 237130 | Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | National industry | 140 | 2.02 |
| 21 | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | Sector | 140 | 0.82 |
| 561730 | 561730 | Landscaping Services | National industry | 140 | 0.52 |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 1850 | 0.49 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 340 | 0.43 |
- **Count:** 15

## Ai Signals

| Source | Label | Score | Scale | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| frey_osborne | Computerization probability | 0.83 | 0-1 probability | 2013-baseline-2016-employment-snapshot |
| felten_aioe | AI occupational exposure | -1.184739 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_image_generation_aioe | Image generation occupational exposure | -0.8029556 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_language_modeling_aioe | Language modeling occupational exposure | -1.303123 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |

## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 5
- **Percentile:** 2
- **Band:** Low
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 11 | felten_aioe |
| 3 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
| 1 | microsoft_working_with_ai |
- **Component Count:** 3

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| felten_aioe | Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) | -1.184739 | 11 | Low | How much this job's abilities overlap with what AI systems can do, across many AI capabilities. A relative research score, not a forecast of job loss. |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0 | 3 | Low | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |
| microsoft_applicability | AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) | 0.006875434612810638 | 1 | Low | How applicable today's AI assistants are to this job's activities, measured from real Microsoft Copilot conversations. Applicability is not the same as replacement. |

### Frey Historical

- **Source:** frey
- **Label:** Computerization probability (Frey & Osborne, 2013)
- **Value:** 0.83
- **Percentile:** 68
- **Band:** High
- **Note:** A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
- **Teleworkable:** no

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0
- **Beta:** 0
- **Gamma:** 0

### Usage Tasks


### Bls

- **Growth Percent:** 3.2
- **Growth Percentile:** 54
- **Direction:** About average
- **Annual Openings Thousands:** 4
- **Annual Openings Percentile:** 43
- **Employment2024Thousands:** 47
- **Employment2034Thousands:** 48.6

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| bls_employment_projections | 2024-2034 |
| dingel_neiman | dingel-neiman-workathome |
| felten_aioe | felten-raj-seamans-aioe |
| frey_osborne | frey-osborne-automation |
| microsoft_working_with_ai | working-with-ai |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 20
- **Skills:** 36
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 9
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** 427c21b7697864a7