Occupation Details
Highway Maintenance Workers
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.
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Interests
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.
Work Values
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$39,570.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$49,140.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$56,690.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
14,620
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
16,700
+208 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
1,805
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.1%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
Some Training - Certificate or hands-on training
Experience Requirements
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education Requirements
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
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.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Transportation
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
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.
Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
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.
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.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- 10-ton crawlers
- 10-ton tandem-axle dump trucks
- 13000-23000 pound graders
- 30-ton clam buckets
- 4-6 ton roller patchers
- 8-ton dump trucks
- Adjustable widemouth pliers
- Adjustable wrenches
- Aggregate spreaders
- Air compressors
- Asphalt reclaimers
- Athey loaders
- Belly dump tractor trailers
- Berm drag tractors
- Bituminous pavers
- Boom trucks
- Brush chippers
- Bucket trucks
- Bulldozers
- Bush axes
- Catch basin vacuum cleaners
- Chain saws
- Chemical sprayers
- Cherry pickers
- Chip spreaders
- Circuit testing equipment
- Cold planers
- Compactors
- Computerized weed spray trucks
- Concrete groovers
Technology
- Database software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Spreadsheet software
- Web browser software
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- measure and mark lay out for construction projects
- mix paint, ingredients, or chemicals, according to specifications
- fabricate, assemble, or disassemble manufactured products by hand
- use concrete fabrication techniques
- use traffic control procedures
- adhere to safety procedures
- apply adhesives, caulking, sealants, or coatings
- move or fit heavy objects
- erect fences, guard rails, highway markers, or related structures
- dig holes or trenches for foundations, posts, poles, or related items
- move materials or goods between work areas
- operate power construction equipment
- use hand or power tools
- operate pneumatic tamper to patch pavement or tamp earth
- operate jackhammer
- understand construction specifications
- drive truck with capacity greater than 3 tons
- operate tractor with accessories or attachments
- transport passengers or cargo
- read tape measure
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- 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.
- Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
- Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
- Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.
- Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
- Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.
- Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
- Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
- Perform roadside landscaping work, such as clearing weeds and brush, and planting and trimming trees.
- Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
- Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
- Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.
- Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.