Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary
The median pay for a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN is $48,440/year ($23.29/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $50,280 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 49.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $48K actually covers in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators pay in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $53K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,730/month, which is 50.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | $41K | $44K |
| Memphis | $39K | $42K |
| Chattanooga | $39K | $42K |
| Johnson City | $36K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $21K 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 annually. We'll email you when Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 50.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,852/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $53K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $48,440 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,050, and experienced paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators can clear $61,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,413/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 50.7% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (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 $50,280 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.