How to hire a highway maintenance technician

How to hire a highway maintenance technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step highway maintenance technician 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 maintenance technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new highway maintenance technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your highway maintenance technician 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 maintenance technician 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

   Hiring the perfect highway maintenance technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of highway maintenance technicians.

   Type of Highway Maintenance Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Highway Maintenance Technician		$12-25
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CDL
   • Highway Maintenance
   • Asphalt
   • Hand Tools
   • Equipment Maintenance
   • CPR
   • Loaders
   • Patrol
   • Mowing
   • Crack Sealing
   • Traffic Signs
   • General Maintenance
   • Ice Removal
   • County Roads

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage proper storage of equipment, compliance with ANSI, NEC standard and assure OSHA safety regulations.
   • Mow or clear brush from a long road or plow snow from roadway
   • Repair cross/storm drains, cracks, pothole, and perform cold asphalt patch repair and pressure washing as needed.
   • Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using one pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
   • Perform routine and emergency maintenance calls, paint, repair drywall safely repair minor electrical problems including HVAC.
   • Operate trucks equip with snowplows and sander attachments to maintain roads in winter weather.

   More highway maintenance technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the highway maintenance technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. A highway maintenance technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a highway maintenance technician in Montana may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level highway maintenance technician. Additionally, a highway maintenance technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average highway maintenance technician salary

   $36,871yearly

   $17.73 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level highway maintenance technician salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average highway maintenance technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Colorado	$40,554	$20
   2	Wyoming	$37,421	$18
   3	Indiana	$36,635	$18
   4	Georgia	$33,359	$16
   5	Virginia	$32,852	$16
   6	Texas	$28,702	$14
   7	Florida	$25,902	$12

   Average highway maintenance technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	International Paper	$42,391	$20.38	58
   2	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$37,767	$18.16	6
   3	Roy Jorgensen Associates	$37,501	$18.03	40
   4	Indiana State Police	$32,905	$15.82	38
   5	Wyoming	$32,811	$15.77	20
   6	My Florida Regional Mls	$32,148	$15.46
   7	Marion County	$31,125	$14.96	2
   8	Florida Dept. of Health	$30,265	$14.55
   9	State Of Florida	$29,847	$14.35	254
   10	Florida Department of Transportation	$29,706	$14.28

4. Writing a highway maintenance technician job description

   A highway maintenance technician 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. Below, you can find an example of a highway maintenance technician job description:

   Highway maintenance technician job description example

   GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: Within the Department of Transportation, to perform highly skilled highway maintenance tasks in accordance with standard trade practices in the installation, alteration, maintenance and repair of highway drainage and other various structures; to perform safety sensitive functions as needed; to assist in a facilities maintenance program; and perform related work as required.
   
   SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Receives work assignments of tasks from a superior, who provides further instruction on the work methods, assigned equipment, materials and schedules; work is subject to supervision and inspection in progress and at its completion for adherence to instructions and standards.
   
   SUPERVISION EXERCISED: On occasion, may direct and/or provide on-the-job training to others assigned to assist.
   
   Within the Department of Transportation, to perform highly skilled highway maintenance tasks in accordance with standard trade practices in the installation, alteration, maintenance and repair of highway drainage and other various structures; to perform safety sensitive functions as needed; to assist in a facilities maintenance program.
   
   To construct, maintain and repair concrete and other foundations for building machinery and similar projects; to build retaining walls, drainage basins, walks and stairways.
   
   To mix or oversee the mixing of mortar and lay common brick, face brick, cinder brick, concrete block, stone, terra cotta or other related materials; to establish and check vertical and horizontal alignment of walls; to erect and remove scaffolding.
   
   To alter and repair interior and exterior walls; to make necessary maintenance inspections; to repair concrete pipelines; to cut, set and repair stone and flagstone.
   
   To build forms, set reinforcing wire and rods, mix, pour, spread, level and rough finish concrete or cement in the repair or construction of sidewalks, floors, walls, curbing, ramps, etc.
   
   To waterproof concrete, repair and construct flagstone walks, and remove faulty or defective waterproofing.
   
   May operate pneumatic and hydraulic powered tools, such as jack hammers, nail guns, clipping guns, tampers, and drills, in the performance of maintenance work.
   
   To maintain tools, materials and equipment in good condition; to make rough sketches and estimate cost of masonry work; to advise in selection, ordering and storage of materials.
   
   As a licensed commercial motor vehicle operator performing safety sensitive functions, to be responsible for providing a safe work environment at all times for co-workers and the traveling public by following established work rules and the rules on drug use and alcohol misuse; safety sensitive functions means at all times, from the time an operator begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time he or she is relieved from work and all responsibilities for performing work; all times includes waiting to be dispatched, inspecting, servicing or conditioning, at the driving controls in operation, other than driving time, loading or unloading, supervising or assisting, remaining in readiness to operate, and repairing, obtaining assistance or remaining in attendance upon a disabled commercial motor vehicle.
   
   To operate trucks equipped with plow blades and aggregate spreaders to remove snow and ice and spread abrasive and de-icing chemicals on road surfaces.
   
   To assist in traffic control and flagging oncoming traffic to warn of work zone and roadwork in progress.
   May provide on-the-job training and instruction to other workers.
   
   To operate and perform emergency running repairs and preventive maintenance on equipment using personal knowledge and operating safety instructions pertaining to assigned equipment; to wash, grease, change oil and filter, changes tires, and fuel trucks, tractors, and other equipment and within the capabilities of such equipment.
   
   To shovel, rake, sweep, and/or dig, as directed by a supervisor, in order to provide support to the maintenance program.
   
   To perform operational adjustments, minor repairs, and preventive maintenance on power equipment as directed by supervisory personnel using standard operating procedures, personal knowledge and/or equipment instruction in order to maintain equipment in a high state of readiness.
   
   To prepare and maintain automated records, using the current maintenance management software programs, concerning work performed and personnel time spent on each maintenance drainage or building project.
   
   To perform the functions of this classification in a variety of environmental and weather conditions.
   
   To do related work as required.
   
   KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND CAPACITIES: A thorough knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of masonry work, and skill in the application of such knowledge; a working knowledge of the tools, and equipment and materials used in masonry work, and their properties, adaptability and uses; a working knowledge of safety measures and precautions; skill in the use and care of masonry tools and equipment; the ability to work off plans and specifications and to supervise the work of subordinates; the ability to make estimates of materials and labor costs for masonry projects; the ability to operate dump trucks, snow plows and a variety of other motor vehicles used in construction and maintenance of state highways; the ability to operate a variety of power hand tools; the ability to readily understand and carry out oral and written directions, the ability to lift and load material; the ability to drive vehicles in a safe and conscientious manner; skill in the operations and servicing of motor equipment; skill in the operation of specialized equipment which requires hand, foot, and eye coordination in which some duties may require the use of protective equipment such as respirators, safety goggles, etc.; and related capacities and abilities.
   
   EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
   
   Education: Such as may have been gained through: graduation from a senior high school; and
   
   Experience: Such as may have been gained through: employment as a skilled mason and experience in the operation of heavy equipment in excess of 26,000 lbs. GVW with airbrakes and manual transmissions.
   
   SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
   
   1. At the time of appointment and continually thereafter:
   
   1.1. Must possess and maintain a valid Rhodes Island Commercial Driver's License (CDL), Class B with airbrake and tanker endorsements.
   
   1.2. Compliance with the USDOT Federal Regulations of the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991 and the State of Rhode Island's Drug & Alcohol Testing Program Policy & Procedures is a mandatory requirement and a condition of continued employment.
   
   1.3. Must be physically qualified to perform assigned duties as evidenced by a physician's certificate.
   
   To construct, maintain and repair concrete and other foundations for building machinery and similar projects; to build retaining walls, drainage basins, walks and stairways. To mix or oversee the mixing of mortar and lay common brick, face brick, cinder brick, concrete block, stone, terra cotta or other related materials; to establish and check vertical and horizontal alignment of walls..

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right highway maintenance technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit highway maintenance technicians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 maintenance technician

   Once you've found the highway maintenance technician 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new highway maintenance technician 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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