Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA, highway maintenance workers earn $71,140 at the median, or about $34.2 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.67), that's roughly $68,622 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,960/month, about 39.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $71K get you in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater’s Regional Price Parity (103.67). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About highway maintenance workers
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What this looks like in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits well above the national pay line for highway maintenance workers, local pay runs about 42% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,960/month, which is 40.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for highway maintenance workers in metros near Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $75K | $68K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $64K | $64K |
| Yakima | $63K | $66K |
| Bellingham | $62K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
Entry-level highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $71K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Highway Maintenance Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Highway Maintenance Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $65K | +30% | 1,650 |
| Washington | $65K | +30% | 2,590 |
| Connecticut | $65K | +29% | 2,130 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +26% | 4,610 |
| Illinois | $62K | +23% | 10,790 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +22% | 2,000 |
| Montana | $61K | +21% | 1,140 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +21% | 1,240 |
| California | $60K | +19% | 8,150 |
| Iowa | $58K | +16% | 4,000 |
| Vermont | $58K | +16% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +15% | 6,000 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | +15% | 620 |
| Utah | $56K | +11% | 1,240 |
| New York | $55K | +10% | 13,820 |
| Alaska | $54K | +8% | 50 |
| Michigan | $54K | +7% | 5,230 |
| Colorado | $52K | +4% | 1,990 |
| Idaho | $52K | +4% | 1,340 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +3% | 4,850 |
| New Hampshire | $51K | +2% | 1,230 |
| Arizona | $51K | +1% | 1,410 |
| Virginia | $51K | +1% | 3,400 |
| Nevada | $49K | -2% | 990 |
| Maryland | $49K | -2% | 620 |
| Maine | $49K | -2% | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $49K | -3% | 6,070 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -3% | 2,580 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -3% | 1,800 |
| Indiana | $48K | -4% | 4,380 |
| Wyoming | $48K | -4% | 820 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -4% | 2,290 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -5% | 3,750 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -5% | 1,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -5% | 11,140 |
| Missouri | $47K | -6% | 5,470 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -8% | 2,280 |
| Kansas | $46K | -8% | 1,960 |
| Texas | $46K | -9% | 6,630 |
| Delaware | $45K | -10% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -10% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -11% | 1,050 |
| Florida | $42K | -16% | 2,530 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -20% | 3,030 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -23% | 3,180 |
| Georgia | $38K | -25% | 1,980 |
| Alabama | $37K | -26% | 2,730 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -29% | 860 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -30% | 4,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track highway maintenance workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $71K, rent takes 40.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,960/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,683/month. At HUD’s $1,960/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Local pay is 42% above the national median — $71K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater compare to the national average for highway maintenance workers?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater pays $71K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +42%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?
The median is $71,140 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,390, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $78,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $71K enough to live in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,869/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,960/month, which eats 40.3% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater has a Regional Price Parity of 103.67 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median highway maintenance workers salary is worth about $68,622 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.