Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary
The median pay for a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Salem, OR is $61,210/year ($29.43/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $59,055 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 39% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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.
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What this looks like in Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 40.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) 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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $71K | $67K |
| Bend | $62K | $60K |
| Albany | $65K | $63K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $73K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $55K 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
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 Salem numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 40.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,115/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Salem?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $61K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators?
Salem pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make in Salem, OR?
The median is $61,210 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,910, and experienced paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators can clear $107,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,866/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 40.4% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary is worth about $59,055 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.