How To Become An Asphalt Paver Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an asphalt paver operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an asphalt paver operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.41 an hour? That's $42,443 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 22,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreAsphalt Paver OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,443

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.01%

Asian 0.90%

Black or African American 5.78%

Hispanic or Latino 12.74%

Unknown 4.35%

White 74.21%

Gender

female 0.00%

male 100.00%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

0.1

Work life balance is

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an asphalt paver operator

Explore asphalt paver operator education requirements

Most common asphalt paver operator degrees

High School Diploma

50.0 %

Associate

20.0 %

Bachelor's

10.0 %

Start to develop specific asphalt paver operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Asphalt	74.21%
Hand Tools	14.13%
Repair Equipment	5.51%
Loaders	3.60%
Material Flow	2.54%

Complete relevant asphalt paver operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New asphalt paver operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an asphalt paver operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real asphalt paver operator resumes.

Research asphalt paver operator duties and responsibilities

Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
Crane operator, Bidwell paving machine operator and setup.

Prepare your asphalt paver operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your asphalt paver operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an asphalt paver operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable asphalt paver operator resume templates

Build a professional asphalt paver operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your asphalt paver operator resume.

Apply for asphalt paver operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an asphalt paver operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do asphalt paver operators rate their job?

-/5

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Asphalt paver operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Being on the tail makes you an invaluable asset. youll always have a job and the way the worlds going they are going to be in high demand. The best Laborers make the best screedmen.

Cons

Dirt crews.