Highway Maintenance Workers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
• 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.
• Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
• Perform roadside landscaping work, such as clearing weeds and brush, and planting and trimming trees.
• Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.
• Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
• 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.
• Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
• Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
• Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
• Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
• Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
• Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
• Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
• Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
• Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
• Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
• Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.
• Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
• Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
• Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
• 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.
• Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.

Skills

• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.

Abilities

• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.

Knowledge

• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• 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.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• 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.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

63420/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

30.49/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

3,050

Yearly Projected Openings

330

Personality

Realistic: 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

Tools

• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Aggregate spreaders
• Agricultural tractors
• Air compressors
• All terrain cranes
• Articulating boom lift
• Axes
• Barricades
• Bituminous material distributors
• Blades or tooth or other cutting edges
• Bridge cranes
• Burners
• Cargo trucks
• Chip Spreaders
• Circuit tester
• Cold planers
• Compactors
• Concrete mixers or plants
• Concrete spreaders
• Conventional truck cranes
• Delivery trucks
• Derricks
• Desktop computers
• Disks
• Ditchers
• Draglines
• Drain or pipe cleaning equipment
• Dump trucks
• Earthmoving buckets or its parts or accessories
• Flatbed trailers
• Forklifts
• Front end loaders
• Gas generators
• Graders
• Grouting machines
• Hammers
• Hand held rock drills
• Hand sprayers
• Harrows
• Hydraulic pumps
• Hydraulic truck cranes
• Impact wrenches
• Kettle exchangers
• Laser printers
• Lasers
• Lawnmowers
• Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
• Low cab forward tractors
• Machetes
• Measuring wheels for distance
• Minivans or vans
• Mobile excavators
• Mowers
• Mud pumps
• Non temperature controlled tanker trailers
• Paint mixers
• Paint sprayers
• Paving breaker tools or accessories
• Paving breakers
• Personal computers
• Picks
• Pile drivers
• Platform lift
• Pneumatic hammer
• Pneumatic sanding machines
• Post hole digger
• Power chippers
• Power saws
• Pressure or steam cleaners
• Rakes
• Road pavers
• Road rooters
• Road surface heater planers
• Road wideners
• Rock cutters
• Rollers
• Safety chains
• Scaffolding
• Scissor lift or lift table
• Screwdrivers
• Scrubbing machines
• Seeder attachment
• Shovels
• Snow blowers
• Snowplow attachments
• Spades
• Spot welding machine
• Sprayers
• Tampers
• Theodolites
• Track bulldozers
• Track excavators
• Two way radios
• Vacuum cleaners
• Vibratory plates
• Water pumps
• Water trucks
• Weeders
• Wheel bulldozers
• Wheel loaders

Technology

• Data base user interface and query software
• Electronic mail software
• Internet browser software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software