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Date: 04/30/2025

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Set up and tear down equipment.
    • Operate machines that clean or cut expansion joints in concrete or asphalt and that rout out cracks in pavement.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
    • Set up and tear down equipment.
    • Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.
    • Operate oil distributors, loaders, chip spreaders, dump trucks, and snow plows.
    • Shovel blacktop.
    • Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.
    • Drive and operate curbing machines to extrude concrete or asphalt curbing.
    • Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
    • Coordinate truck dumping.
    • Control traffic.
    • Operate tamping machines or manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials, according to grade specifications.
    • 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.
    • Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
    • Operate oil distributors, loaders, chip spreaders, dump trucks, and snow plows.
    • Cut or break up pavement and drive guardrail posts, using machines equipped with interchangeable hammers.
    • Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
    • Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
    • Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
    • Cut or break up pavement and drive guardrail posts, using machines equipped with interchangeable hammers.
    • Install dies, cutters, and extensions to screeds onto machines, using hand tools.
    • Operate machines that clean or cut expansion joints in concrete or asphalt and that rout out cracks in pavement.
    • Set up forms and lay out guidelines for curbs, according to written specifications, using string, spray paint, and concrete or water mixes.
    • Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
    • Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites.
    • Set up forms and lay out guidelines for curbs, according to written specifications, using string, spray paint, and concrete or water mixes.

    Skills

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • 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.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    3
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • 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.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    Knowledge

    • 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.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • 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.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • 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.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • 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.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • 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.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • 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.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 62070/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 29.84/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 1,580
    • Yearly Projected Openings 140

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Independence
    • Self Control
    • Achievement/Effort

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Asphalt finishers
    • Bituminous material distributors
    • Chip Spreaders
    • Claw hammer
    • Cold planers
    • Compactors
    • Concrete paving strike offs
    • Curbing machines
    • Desktop computers
    • Dump trucks
    • Flatbed trailers
    • Graders
    • Kettle exchangers
    • Level sensors or transmitters
    • Levels
    • Locking pliers
    • Measuring tapes
    • Milling machines
    • Non contact sensors
    • Nut drivers
    • Paint sprayers
    • Paving breakers
    • Paving material mixers
    • Personal computers
    • Pneumatic hammer
    • Power saws
    • Rakes
    • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
    • Respirators
    • Road pavers
    • Road surface heater planers
    • Rollers
    • Screwdrivers
    • Skid steer loaders
    • Snowplow attachments
    • Straight edges
    • String or twine
    • Tampers
    • Two way radios
    • Wheel loaders

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
    • Office suite software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Time accounting software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.
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