Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary
The median pay for a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ is $54,810/year ($26.35/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.97), that's roughly $54,826 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,634/month, about 44.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton’s Regional Price Parity (99.97). 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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
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What this looks like in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton
Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators pay in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $53K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,634/month, which is 44.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in metros near Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $51K | $50K |
| Pittsburgh | $50K | $52K |
| Lancaster | $59K | $60K |
| Toledo | $58K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Entry-level paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $111K | +109% | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $91K | +71% | 70 |
| Washington | $91K | +70% | 530 |
| Alaska | $84K | +57% | 80 |
| California | $83K | +56% | 1,400 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +45% | N/A |
| Idaho | $73K | +37% | 130 |
| Illinois | $73K | +37% | 950 |
| Missouri | $69K | +30% | 1,560 |
| Wisconsin | $69K | +29% | 960 |
| Minnesota | $68K | +28% | 830 |
| Oregon | $63K | +19% | 520 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | +18% | 160 |
| New York | $63K | +18% | 4,530 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +16% | 260 |
| Iowa | $61K | +15% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $61K | +14% | 560 |
| Maryland | $61K | +13% | 750 |
| Ohio | $60K | +13% | 2,370 |
| South Dakota | $60K | +13% | 130 |
| Colorado | $59K | +10% | 920 |
| Wyoming | $58K | +9% | 160 |
| Maine | $57K | +7% | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | +5% | 520 |
| Montana | $56K | +5% | 260 |
| Vermont | $55K | +3% | 70 |
| Michigan | $54K | +2% | 1,720 |
| Delaware | $54K | +1% | 150 |
| Arizona | $52K | -2% | 170 |
| Nevada | $51K | -4% | N/A |
| West Virginia | $51K | -4% | 210 |
| New Jersey | $51K | -5% | 840 |
| Indiana | $50K | -6% | 910 |
| Kansas | $49K | -8% | 540 |
| Utah | $49K | -8% | 410 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -9% | 350 |
| Virginia | $48K | -10% | 1,660 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -10% | 1,940 |
| Texas | $47K | -12% | 3,940 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -12% | 630 |
| Florida | $47K | -12% | 2,740 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -12% | 550 |
| Georgia | $46K | -14% | 1,270 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -14% | 990 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -14% | 390 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -14% | 110 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -17% | 490 |
| Tennessee | $43K | -20% | 1,730 |
| Alabama | $42K | -21% | 700 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -31% | 470 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 44.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,634/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,564/month. At HUD’s $1,634/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operator a high-paying job in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $53K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton compare to the national average for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?
The median is $54,810 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,730, and experienced paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators can clear $73,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,700/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,634/month, which eats 44.2% 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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary go in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton has a Regional Price Parity of 99.97 (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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary is worth about $54,826 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators 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.