Paving Equipment Operator

Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:

• Break up rock, asphalt, or concrete.
• Operate equipment or vehicles to clear construction sites or move materials.
• Operate heavy-duty construction or installation equipment.
• Operate road-surfacing equipment.
• Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
• Clean equipment or facilities.
• Compact materials to create level bases.
• Load materials into construction equipment.
• Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures.
• Spread sand, dirt or other loose materials onto surfaces.

Typical Working Conditions

• Working outdoors exposed to weather.
• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• Responsibility for others’ health and safety.
• Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Exposure to contaminants (like gases or odors).
• Meeting strict deadlines.
• Exposure to hazardous equipment.
• Working with a group or team.
• The importance of being accurate or exact.
• Having face-to-face discussions.
• Frequent decision-making.

Tools & Technology used by Paving Equipment Operators

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Most Important Skills for Paving Equipment Operators

• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Operating Equipment—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Repairing—Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Maintaining Equipment—Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Troubleshooting—Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Controlling Quality—Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Paving Equipment Operators

• Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Building and Construction—Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Engineering and Technology—Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Production and Processing—Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

• Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.

Demand
This career is seeing very high growth compared to other careers. There will be a need for about 1,164 new Paving Equipment Operators to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

This career is best for those with at least a high school degree, and a few professionals attend some college.

Visit the Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence for more information about this career, as well as links to education and training programs in Minnesota.

View the local post-secondary education options from our partners: Central Lakes College & MSTATE.

Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:

• Accounting
• Algebra I and II
• Blueprint Reading
• Business Computer Applications
• CAD Design
• Drafting
• Electronics
• Geometry
• Physics
• Technical Writing
• Trigonometry
• Woodworking

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise