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Highway Maintenance Workers

Also called: Equipment Operator (EO), Highway Maintainer, Highway Maintenance Worker, Transportation Maintenance Specialist (TMS)

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What they do:
Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.
On the job, you would:
  • Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
  • Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
  • Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.

Knowledge

Safety and Government
  • public safety and security
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Transportation
  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road
Engineering and Technology
  • building and construction

Skills

Basic Skills
  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Controlled Movement
  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
  • use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down
Hand and Finger Use
  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • hold or move items with your hands
Endurance
  • exercise for a long time without getting out of breath
Attention
  • pay attention to something without being distracted

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Dependability
  • Concern for Others
  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cooperation
  • Self Control

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 2 of 5)
high school diploma/GED
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Average Outlook
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
Salary
$45,880
$29,130
$60,970
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about highway maintenance workers.