Statewide pay Government data
Paving equipment operators in Washington earn a statewide median of $90,530 a year, 81% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #3 of 49 states and DC. About 530 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Washington
See all states on the paving equipment operator overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes paving equipment operator pay for 2 Washington metros: Seattle and Yakima.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| SeattleWASHINGTON · WA | $96,590 | $86,914 | 270 |
| YakimaWASHINGTON · WA | $63,160 | $66,105 | 30 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
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.
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.
Licensed contractors Government data
Washington had 160 active paving contractor licenses in October 2026. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with L&I, so the count covers specialty firms, not only licensed trades.
Washington Department of Labor & Industries, contractor license data, October 2026 (active licenses only).
Licensing in Washington Official source
The main state licensing office in Washington is the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. It can point you to the right license for paving equipment operators.
Official Washington licensing site ↗
Requirements for paving equipment operators vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 18.0% of wage and salary workers in Washington were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#4 of 51 states and D.C.), and 19.4% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only paving equipment operators.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Washington
All trades in Washington.