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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 47-2071.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators, trained hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 6,000 hours, for Asphalt Paving Machine Operator (Alt. Title: Concrete and Asphalt Equip Op) (hybrid).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt Paving Machine Operator (Alt. Title: Concrete and Asphalt Equip Op) | 0872 | Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators earn, by state
Hawaii has the highest state median for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators ($111,360) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($29,460), across the 51 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $111,360 | $53.54 | Not published |
| District of Columbia | $91,280 | $43.88 | 70 |
| Washington | $90,530 | $43.53 | 530 |
| Alaska | $83,520 | $40.15 | 80 |
| California | $83,130 | $39.97 | 1,400 |
| Connecticut | $77,480 | $37.25 | Not published |
| Idaho | $73,210 | $35.20 | 130 |
| Illinois | $73,060 | $35.13 | 950 |
| Missouri | $69,400 | $33.37 | 1,560 |
| Wisconsin | $69,020 | $33.18 | 960 |
| Minnesota | $68,180 | $32.78 | 830 |
| Oregon | $63,310 | $30.44 | 520 |
| Rhode Island | $63,060 | $30.32 | 160 |
| New York | $62,760 | $30.17 | 4,530 |
| New Hampshire | $62,080 | $29.85 | 260 |
| Iowa | $61,110 | $29.38 | Not published |
| Massachusetts | $60,950 | $29.31 | 560 |
| Maryland | $60,530 | $29.10 | 750 |
| Ohio | $60,280 | $28.98 | 2,370 |
| South Dakota | $60,140 | $28.92 | 130 |
| Colorado | $58,810 | $28.28 | 920 |
| Wyoming | $58,080 | $27.92 | 160 |
| Maine | $57,020 | $27.42 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,010 | $26.93 | 520 |
| Montana | $55,920 | $26.89 | 260 |
| Vermont | $54,830 | $26.36 | 70 |
| Michigan | $54,220 | $26.07 | 1,720 |
| Delaware | $54,020 | $25.97 | 150 |
| Arizona | $52,140 | $25.07 | 170 |
| Nevada | $51,400 | $24.71 | Not published |
| West Virginia | $51,230 | $24.63 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $50,500 | $24.28 | 840 |
| Indiana | $50,380 | $24.22 | 910 |
| Kansas | $49,070 | $23.59 | 540 |
| Utah | $48,860 | $23.49 | 410 |
| Louisiana | $48,450 | $23.29 | 350 |
| Virginia | $48,060 | $23.10 | 1,660 |
| North Carolina | $47,820 | $22.99 | 1,940 |
| Texas | $47,060 | $22.63 | 3,940 |
| South Carolina | $46,950 | $22.57 | 630 |
| Florida | $46,840 | $22.52 | 2,740 |
| Oklahoma | $46,760 | $22.48 | 550 |
| Georgia | $46,100 | $22.16 | 1,270 |
| New Mexico | $45,880 | $22.06 | 990 |
| Nebraska | $45,760 | $22.00 | 390 |
| Kentucky | $45,660 | $21.95 | 110 |
| Arkansas | $44,010 | $21.16 | 490 |
| Tennessee | $42,510 | $20.44 | 1,730 |
| Alabama | $41,880 | $20.14 | 700 |
| Mississippi | $37,030 | $17.80 | 470 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,460 | $14.16 | 230 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).