How to hire a highway maintainer

How to hire a highway maintainer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step highway maintainer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a highway maintainer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new highway maintainer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your highway maintainer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a highway maintainer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A highway maintainer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, highway maintainers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of highway maintainers.

   Type of Highway Maintainer	Description	Hourly rate
   Highway Maintainer		$13-38
   Maintainer	A maintainer serves as a time tracker that oversees and monitors the tasks of employees. They are the one who facilitates and reviews all the work, ensuring it is done according to specifications... Show more	$14-39
   Highway Maintenance Worker	Highway maintenance workers are employees who are responsible for performing various tasks to provide safety and working order to all highways and roads. These workers must visit problematic areas to assess the situation of highways and then perform duties such as paving uneven or damaged highways or painting traffic lines and dividers... Show more	$14-25

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Loaders
   • CDL Class
   • Road Surfaces
   • Dump Truck
   • Mowing
   • Snowplows
   • Snow Removal
   • Snow Plow
   • State Highways
   • Traffic Control
   • Load Trucks
   • Construction Equipment
   • DOT
   • Highway Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Cut brush, operate mowing equipment, and litter pick up.
   • Maintain and repair all trucks, tractors, mowers, etc.
   • Dump, spread and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tamper to patch broken or erode pavement.
   • Operate machines to spread, smooth, level or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
   • Ensure upkeep of state land and highways including; mowing, painting, road maintenance, trash and brush pick up.
   • Receive and implement combat orders and direct deployment of personnel in offensive, defensive and retrograde operations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your highway maintainer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A highway maintainer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, highway maintainers' average salary in arkansas is 57% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level highway maintainers 64% less than senior-level highway maintainers.
   • Certifications. A highway maintainer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a highway maintainer's salary.

   Average highway maintainer salary

   $48,568yearly

   $23.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level highway maintainer salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a highway maintainer job description

   A highway maintainer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a highway maintainer job description:

   Highway maintainer job description example

   Education/Certifications: Bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited program
   
   Engineer in Training (EIT) or Engineering Intern (EI) certification Experience: 0-2 years in civil engineering; Prior internship in civil engineering or related field
   
   Position/Title Alternates: Civil Engineering Intern (DOT), Designer (DOT), EIT I (DOT)
   
   Summary.
   
   Assists and supports design teams in the planning, technical analysis, and design of engineering projects within a technical discipline in highway/roadway engineering. Provides technical input during various stages of a project, including preliminary design, final design, and contract documentation including cost estimates and specifications. Applies standard techniques and procedures in accordance with established criteria in carrying out a sequence of related design tasks. Exercises judgment on details of work and in the application of standard methods of work under the direction of a registered engineer.
   
   Typical Essential Duties/Responsibilities.
   
   + Supports project engineers in the design and detailing of local, county, and state roadway and highway projects
   
   + Assists with geometric analyses and calculations using established design criteria and standard software
   
   + Assists with developing typical sections, alignments, profiles, layouts, and cross-sections
   
   + Assists design team in development of design documentation, plans, and reports for specific tasks and quantity calculations
   
   + Assists with Open Roads and other technologies in the development of 3D models of project elements
   
   + Becomes familiar with various design manual standards and specifications
   
   + Perform engineering calculations & estimates
   
   + Assist in collecting & analyzing data
   
   + Prepare drawings, layouts, & other engineering drafting using computer applications
   
   + Monitor compliance with applicable codes & engineering practices
   
   + Assist in developing plans & reports
   
   + Discuss & propose solutions to technical issues
   
   + Design of civil project components
   
   + Observe construction activities
   
   Job Complexity.
   
   + Works on projects of minimal complexity; contributes to project subtasks or milestones
   
   Guidance/Supervision.
   
   + Works under the direction of a registered engineer
   
   + Receives general instruction and incremental review on all aspects of work; Close supervision on new assignments/projects
   
   + Review of completed work for the application of sound professional judgement
   
   Competencies.
   
   + Strong oral & written communication skills
   
   + Detail oriented with an emphasis on quality products
   
   + Use of personal computers & applicable programs, applications, and systems
   
   + Ability to plan, schedule work, and complete work assignments within established budgets & timelines
   
   + Experience with AutoCAD, MicroStation &/or Civil 3D
   
   + Problem solving initiative within assigned tasks
   
   + Works effectively in team environment & with peers
   
   + Strong deductive & inductive reasoning skills
   
   Safety/Physical/Mental Requirements.
   
   + Maintain a valid driver's license and acceptable driving record per CONSOR policy and insurance requirements
   
   + Perform work safely and follow CONSOR's Safety Manual
   
   + Near & far vision - Ability to see details at close range and at a distance
   
   + Speech clarity & recognition - Ability to speak clearly to be understood; Ability to understand the speech of others
   
   Other Requirements.
   
   + Strong ethical character
   
   This job description may have been redacted to relay a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of the position. In some instances, it may not describe all tasks that may be assigned. As business demands change, the essential functions of some positions may also change. Position requires the successful completion of applicable pre-employment background checks and drug screening
   
   Company Overview
   
   Let the next big thing you engineer be your future at CONSOR Engineers!
   
   CONSOR Engineers is inspiring vibrant communities by connecting people through innovative engineering solutions, focused on transportation planning and design, structural assessment, construction services, and water-wastewater. Our project portfolio includes thousands of projects across the United States and Canada with 47 offices in North America and 1200+ employees. We are deeply committed to investing in our people - together we are stronger, more innovative, and able to fulfill an engineering vision that makes a true difference.
   
   CONSOR champions growth, creativity, and well-being in our team members. We offer a competitive pay structure, a comprehensive benefits package, and recognize the need for work-life balance. Our core values define our company culture and remind us of what we all aspire - Collaboration, Ownership, New Ideas, Safety, Optimism, Respect, Integrity, and Quality (CONSORiq).
   
   We're made up of talented, collaborative, and driven folks from every civil engineering discipline. We are driven by producing outstanding work and thrive on tackling the biggest projects. If this sounds like a place you could see yourself shining (and we think it is!), apply today and let's create something amazing together.
   
   Diversity Statement (EEO)
   
   CONSOR is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in our workplace. We believe in each individual's potential. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, genetic information, service in the military, or any other status protected by law.
   
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5. Post your job

   To find the right highway maintainer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with highway maintainers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit highway maintainers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your highway maintainer job on Zippia to find and attract quality highway maintainer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting highway maintainers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new highway maintainer

   Once you've found the highway maintainer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new highway maintainer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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