Paver vs asphalt paver operator

The differences between pavers and asphalt paver operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a paver and an asphalt paver operator. Additionally, an asphalt paver operator has an average salary of $42,443, which is higher than the $33,680 average annual salary of a paver.

The top three skills for a paver include asphalt, RAN and blacktop. The most important skills for an asphalt paver operator are asphalt, hand tools, and repair equipment.

Paver vs asphalt paver operator overview

	Paver	Asphalt Paver Operator
Yearly salary	$33,680	$42,443
Hourly rate	$16.19	$20.41
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	226	26,292
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Paver vs asphalt paver operator salary

Pavers and asphalt paver operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Paver	Asphalt Paver Operator
Average salary	$33,680	$42,443
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $44,000	Between $24,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Saginaw, MI	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Alta Equipment	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between paver and asphalt paver operator education

There are a few differences between a paver and an asphalt paver operator in terms of educational background:

	Paver	Asphalt Paver Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Mechanical Engineering Technology
Most common college	-	-

Paver vs asphalt paver operator demographics

Here are the differences between pavers' and asphalt paver operators' demographics:

	Paver	Asphalt Paver Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 0.9% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 0.9% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between paver and asphalt paver operator duties and responsibilities

Paver example responsibilities.

Pave roads run street sweeper.
Work as a paver laying blacktop.
Ensure strict compliance with all OSHA regulations across all operational aspects.
Use Volvo skid steer to dig out and load old blacktop onto waiting trucks.
Load and move material using various types of trucks, power cranes, shovels, graders, or relate equipment.
Operate heavy machinery, shoveled/racked asphalt, make calculations.

Asphalt paver operator example 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.

Paver vs asphalt paver operator skills

Common paver skills

Asphalt, 53%
RAN, 7%
Blacktop, 6%
Manual Labor, 6%
Shovels, 5%
BOB Cat, 4%

Common asphalt paver operator skills

Asphalt, 74%
Hand Tools, 14%
Repair Equipment, 6%
Loaders, 4%
Material Flow, 3%

Paver vs. similar jobs

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Paving Machine Operator responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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