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Paving Equipment Operator pay in Montana

Statewide and by city · BLS, May 2025

$55,920statewide median a year
$26.89median an hour
#25of 49 states + DC
260paving equipment operators employed statewide

Statewide pay Government data

Paving equipment operators in Montana earn a statewide median of $55,920 a year, 12% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #25 of 49 states and DC. About 260 people work in the trade statewide.

Statewide pay range

$36,510Entry · 10th$48,89025th$55,920Median$68,18075th$78,350Top · 90th

States ranked near Montana

Wyoming$58,080
Maine$57,020
Montana$55,920
Vermont$54,830
Michigan$54,220
Delaware$54,020

See all states on the paving equipment operator overview.

Pay by city Government data

MetroMedian payReal payJobs
BozemanMONTANA · MT$50,650$49,41040
BillingsMONTANA · MT$48,890$52,27480

Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate

Pay outside the cities Government data

BLS also reports pay for Montana's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.

West Montana$55,710

BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.

The job (national)

Operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways or for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. Includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators.

Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,100 openings a year. Typical training: moderate-term on-the-job training.

Nationally, paving equipment operators have 19 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 78% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.

What the work is like Government data

How often paving equipment operators deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.

Outdoors, in all kinds of weatherVery often
Indoors with heating and air conditioningOccasionally
Very hot or cold conditionsOften
Working at heightsOccasionally
Climbing ladders, scaffolds or polesOccasionally
Cramped spaces and awkward positionsSometimes
Loud noiseOften
Hazardous conditionsOccasionally
Standing, bending, kneeling and walkingSometimes
SittingSometimes

Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).

O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.

Licensing in Montana Official source

The main state licensing office in Montana is the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (Business Standards). It can point you to the right license for paving equipment operators.

Official Montana licensing site ↗

Requirements for paving equipment operators vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.

Cities in Montana

BozemanMONTANA · MT+7.6%population since 2020 · 2.5% unemployment
BillingsMONTANA · MT+4.8%population since 2020 · 3.3% unemployment

All trades in Montana.

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