Paver operator vs road grader

The differences between paver operators and road graders 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 operator and a road grader. Additionally, a road grader has an average salary of $44,719, which is higher than the $42,531 average annual salary of a paver operator.

The top three skills for a paver operator include asphalt, highway construction and loaders. The most important skills for a road grader are loaders, mowing, and .

Paver operator vs road grader overview

	Paver Operator	Road Grader
Yearly salary	$42,531	$44,719
Hourly rate	$20.45	$21.50
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	34,683	14,282
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Paver operator vs road grader salary

Paver operators and road graders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Paver Operator	Road Grader
Average salary	$42,531	$44,719
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $56,000	Between $28,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between paver operator and road grader education

There are a few differences between a paver operator and a road grader in terms of educational background:

	Paver Operator	Road Grader
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Paver operator vs road grader demographics

Here are the differences between paver operators' and road graders' demographics:

	Paver Operator	Road Grader
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 98.5% Female, 1.5%	Male, 95.2% Female, 4.8%
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 operator and road grader duties and responsibilities

Paver operator example responsibilities.

Receive MSHA training and implement safety procedures daily.
Crane operator, Bidwell paving machine operator and setup.
Help to ensure EPA and OSHA standards and procedures are followed.
Install dies, cutters, and extensions to screeds onto machines, using hand tools.
Train to operate equipment in a safe and effective manner in accordance to MSHA regulations.
Start engine and control paving machine to push dump truck and maintain constant flow of asphalt into hopper.

Road grader example responsibilities.

Provide feedback on errors, manage records on blackboard and proctore during exams.
Identify problems and determine corrective actions with plant management in reference to USDA regulations.
Operate dryers to dry wood, utility, and grade wood off the sort table into the proper cart.

Paver operator vs road grader skills

Common paver operator skills

Asphalt, 51%
Highway Construction, 9%
Loaders, 8%
OSHA, 7%
Construction Sites, 6%
Safety Standards, 4%

Common road grader skills

Loaders, 61%
Mowing, 39%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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