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How Much Does a Highway Maintenance Worker Make?

A highway maintenance worker in the US earns a median salary of $50,260 a year, or $24.16 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $53,080, and the middle half earn between $43,500 and $61,040.

Median a year $50,260
Median an hour $24.16
Median a month $4,188
Average a year $53,080

Highway maintenance worker pay range

What highway maintenance workers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $36,230 $17.42
25th $43,500 $20.91
Median (50th) $50,260 $24.16
75th $61,040 $29.35
90th (top 10%) $71,970 $34.60

The median is 1% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 154,960 people work as highway maintenance workers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$967
Every two weeks
$1,933
Twice a month
$2,094
A month
$4,188

At the median salary, before tax.

Highway maintenance worker salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Washington pays highway maintenance workers the most, at $67,870 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Washington $67,870 $65,300 2,590 After tax
Connecticut $66,700 $64,870 2,130 After tax
Illinois $66,410 $61,700 10,790 After tax
Oregon $63,650 $65,330 1,650 After tax
California $63,070 $59,580 8,150 After tax
North Dakota $62,150 $60,630 1,240 After tax
Massachusetts $61,800 $61,500 2,000 After tax
Montana $60,320 $60,960 1,140 After tax
Minnesota $60,280 $63,150 4,610 After tax
Alaska $59,650 $54,090 50 After tax
Iowa $57,670 $58,490 4,000 After tax
New York $57,190 $55,210 13,820 After tax
Vermont $56,930 $58,460 1,170 After tax
New Jersey $56,570 $51,720 4,850 After tax
Rhode Island $56,390 $57,950 620 After tax
Utah $56,390 $55,970 1,240 After tax
Wisconsin $56,080 $58,000 6,000 After tax
Colorado $55,710 $52,350 1,990 After tax
Idaho $55,280 $52,050 1,340 After tax
Maryland $55,040 $49,030 620 After tax
New Hampshire $52,940 $51,050 1,230 After tax
Nevada $52,510 $49,320 990 After tax
Michigan $51,910 $53,750 5,230 After tax
Wyoming $51,900 $48,190 820 After tax
Virginia $51,790 $50,800 3,400 After tax
Ohio $51,170 $48,880 6,070 After tax
Nebraska $50,920 $48,650 2,580 After tax
South Dakota $50,470 $48,610 1,800 After tax
Arizona $50,260 $50,850 1,410 After tax
Pennsylvania $50,060 $47,690 11,140 After tax
Indiana $49,430 $48,480 4,380 After tax
Maine $49,300 $49,030 1,620 After tax
South Carolina $48,900 $48,130 2,290 After tax
Missouri $48,470 $47,470 5,470 After tax
New Mexico $47,340 $47,740 1,470 After tax
North Carolina $47,300 $47,880 3,750 After tax
Delaware $47,160 $45,450 90 After tax
Tennessee $46,070 $46,070 2,280 After tax
Kansas $45,970 $46,050 1,960 After tax
West Virginia $45,290 $45,260 730 After tax
Louisiana $44,970 $44,790 1,050 After tax
Texas $44,770 $45,540 6,630 After tax
Florida $43,130 $42,210 2,530 After tax
Kentucky $41,960 $40,400 3,030 After tax
Oklahoma $40,570 $38,840 3,180 After tax
Georgia $39,710 $37,560 1,980 After tax
Alabama $38,990 $37,430 2,730 After tax
Arkansas $36,310 $35,740 860 After tax
Mississippi $35,140 $35,120 4,160 After tax
Puerto Rico $27,800 $21,840 2,730

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other construction and extraction jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Highway Maintenance Workers” (SOC 47-4051). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a highway maintenance worker make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a highway maintenance worker is $24.16, and the average is $25.52. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $17.42 an hour and the top 10% over $34.60.

How much does a highway maintenance worker make a month?

At the median salary of $50,260, a highway maintenance worker earns about $4,188 a month before tax, or $1,933 every two weeks.

Which state pays highway maintenance workers the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for a highway maintenance worker, at $67,870 a year. Next are Connecticut and Illinois. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a highway maintenance worker?

The lowest-paid 10% of highway maintenance workers earn less than $36,230 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $43,500. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid highway maintenance workers make?

The top 10% earn more than $71,970 a year, and the top 25% more than $61,040.