Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Florida, highway maintenance workers earn $42,210 at the median, or about $20.29 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $42,818 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 54.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in Florida?
About highway maintenance workers
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What this looks like in Florida
Pay for highway maintenance workers in Florida runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 55.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for highway maintenance workerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Highway Maintenance Workers salary by metro in Florida
18 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $48K | +13% | 60 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $46K | +9% | 160 |
| Jacksonville | $45K | +8% | 180 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $44K | +5% | 530 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $44K | +4% | 40 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $43K | +1% | 240 |
| Tallahassee | $42K | +0% | 40 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $42K | -2% | 30 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $40K | -6% | 50 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $39K | -8% | 60 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $38K | -9% | 370 |
| Gainesville | $38K | -9% | 100 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $38K | -11% | 40 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $37K | -12% | 90 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $37K | -12% | 50 |
| Punta Gorda | $37K | -13% | 50 |
| Ocala | $35K | -16% | 50 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $35K | -16% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 18 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 55.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for highway maintenance workers in Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,017/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 82% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is highway maintenance worker a high-paying job in Florida?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $42K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Florida compare to the national average for highway maintenance workers?
Florida pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Florida?
The median is $42,210 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,610, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $57,220. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,996/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 55.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a highway maintenance workers salary go in Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median highway maintenance workers salary is worth about $42,818 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do highway maintenance workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.