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

What is an asphalt plant operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Asphalt plants can be difficult places to work in. It's the asphalt plant operator's job to power through and smooth those difficulties out. They operate heavy machinery and maintain the plant equipment. They are very familiar with hot mix asphalt and its chemistry, and they respect it enough to follow proper safety protocol when handling it.

Asphalt plant operators don't need to have a college education. A high school diploma or GED is enough to get you through the door. However, degrees in automotive technology, electrical engineering, and precision metal working tend to give you an edge. Still, prior experience in construction or manufacturing will often give you a more significant advantage in the job market.

On average, asphalt plant operators in the United States earn a yearly salary of roughly about $37,923. That's more or less $18 an hour. Suppose you want to cash in a bigger paycheck. In that case, there are plenty of opportunities for career advancement. Asphalt plant operators are often promoted to more lucrative positions such as foreman, operations manager, and plant manager.

ScoreAsphalt Plant OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $41,574

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 4.32%

Black or African American 8.72%

Hispanic or Latino 21.49%

Unknown 4.75%

White 59.91%

Gender

female 2.51%

male 97.49%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Key steps to become an asphalt plant operator

Explore asphalt plant operator education requirements

Most common asphalt plant operator degrees

High School Diploma

62.5 %

Associate

17.2 %

Bachelor's

14.1 %

Start to develop specific asphalt plant operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Asphalt	38.53%
Plant Equipment	7.69%
Loaders	5.53%
Plant Maintenance	5.41%
Plant Production	4.86%

Research asphalt plant operator duties and responsibilities

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Skil in operating finish rollers, loaders, skid loaders, forklifts and road brooms.
Operate equipment require for asphalt production.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.

Prepare your asphalt plant operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your asphalt plant 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 plant 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 plant operator resume templates

Build a professional asphalt plant 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 plant operator resume.

Apply for asphalt plant operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an asphalt plant 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 plant operators rate their job?

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Asphalt plant operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Cons

Safety ,no clean air systems ,the whole yard is always covered in silica,and other dangurouse dusts. Can't where mast all the time but you should. Management sucks.