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State Departments of Transportation
Caltrans, TxDOT, Florida DOT
Highway Maintenance Workers
Highway maintenance workers keep roads usable by clearing drains, fixing pavement, setting up traffic control, and running trucks and heavy machines. The job is different from most trades because the work changes with the weather and the road conditions — one day may mean patching asphalt, while the next means plowing snow or responding to a washout. The tradeoff is simple: the work is steady and practical, but it is physical, outdoors, and often done near moving traffic.
Also known as Road Maintenance WorkerHighway Maintenance TechnicianRoadway Maintenance WorkerMaintenance Worker - HighwaysHighway Repair Worker
Median Salary
$49,070
Mean $51,410
U.S. Workforce
~152K
12.3K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+3%
159.1K to 163.9K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Highway Maintenance Workers sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~152K workers, with a median annual pay of $49,070 and roughly 12.3K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 159.1 K in 2024 to 163.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Road Maintenance Helper and can progress toward Maintenance Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, and Heavy Equipment Operation & Attachments, paired with soft skills such as Coordination, Monitoring, and Active Listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Clear out drains, culverts, and roadside ditches so water does not back up onto the road.
- Operate trucks and equipment to sweep pavement, mow roadside growth, plow snow, remove ice, and spread salt or sand.
- Drive crews and tools to job sites and move materials between work areas.
- Install or repair guardrails, road signs, shoulders, warning lights, and other roadside hardware using hand and power tools.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Clear out drains, culverts, and roadside ditches so water does not back up onto the road.
02 Operate trucks and equipment to sweep pavement, mow roadside growth, plow snow, remove ice, and spread salt or sand.
03 Drive crews and tools to job sites and move materials between work areas.
04 Install or repair guardrails, road signs, shoulders, warning lights, and other roadside hardware using hand and power tools.
05 Fill washouts, rebuild damaged shoulders, and patch broken pavement with gravel, clay, and asphalt.
06 Set up warning signs, direct traffic around work zones, and inspect bridges, tunnels, drainage systems, and other structures for damage.
Industries That Hire
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Heavy Civil Construction
Kiewit, Granite Construction, The Walsh Group
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Toll Road and Highway Operators
Transurban, Ferrovial, Vinci Highways
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Infrastructure Engineering Firms
AECOM, Jacobs, WSP
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Municipal Public Works
New York City DOT, Chicago Department of Transportation, Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The barrier to entry is low: the typical requirement is a high school diploma, no prior work experience, and moderate on-the-job training.
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There are steady openings, with about 12.3K annual openings and employment projected to rise from 159.1K in 2024 to 163.9K by 2034.
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The work is varied, so you are not stuck doing one repetitive task all day; you may drive, plow, patch pavement, or handle traffic control in the same week.
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The job makes a visible difference after storms or damage because crews clear drains, fix washouts, and reopen roads people use right away.
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Pay is decent for a no-degree job, with median annual pay of $49,070 and mean pay of $51,410.
Challenges
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The work is physically demanding and outdoors in heat, cold, rain, snow, and around salt, gravel, asphalt, and mud.
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It can be dangerous because crews work near moving traffic and around heavy equipment, especially when flagging motorists or making roadside repairs.
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Growth is modest at only 3.0%, so this is not a fast-expanding field; the job count is expected to rise by just 4.8K by 2034.
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There is a real career ceiling if you stay in the field too long, because higher pay often means moving into crew lead or supervisor jobs instead of staying a hands-on worker.
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Schedules can be irregular when storms, washouts, or ice events hit, which can mean early starts, overtime, and urgent callouts.
Career Progression
Road Maintenance Helper
0-2 years
$33K-$39K
New workers learn traffic safety, basic cleanup, and how to support crews before they handle larger equipment or repairs on their own.
Highway Maintenance Worker
2-6 years
$46K-$56K
Workers in this core role operate trucks and machines, patch roads, clear drainage, and handle snow or storm cleanup.
Senior Highway Maintenance Worker THIS ROLE
6-10 years
$56K-$67K
Experienced workers take on harder repairs, check the quality of finished work, and may lead a small crew at the job site.
Maintenance Supervisor
10+ years
$67K-$82K
Supervisors plan work, assign crews, track safety, and coordinate repairs across multiple roads or districts.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
This is the standard entry point, and 88.29% of workers in the role report this level.
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Many employers train new hires on the job for several months so they can learn traffic control, equipment use, and basic repairs safely.
Post-secondary certificate in heavy equipment, diesel, or CDL training
A certificate can help you get hired faster, but it is less common; only 1.43% of workers report a post-secondary certificate.
Associate's degree in construction technology or highway maintenance
This is an alternate route rather than the norm, with 5.07% of workers reporting an associate's degree.
Key Skills
Technical
Operation and Control 100%
Operations Monitoring 84%
Heavy Equipment Operation & Attachments 78%
Roadway Inspection & Drainage Systems 72%
Traffic Control Devices & Flagging Equipment 60%
Pavement Patching, Asphalt Tools & Hand Tools 50%
Soft Skills
CoordinationMonitoringActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingSpeakingCritical Thinking Job Outlook and Trends
+3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
12.3K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 159.1K to 163.9 K over the next decade, representing 3% growth. Around 12.3 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.