Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary
The median pay for a paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is $46,320/year ($22.27/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $47,294 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 54.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $46K actually covers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 55.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) 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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $50K | $51K |
| Roanoke | $48K | $51K |
| Winchester | $48K | $49K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $59K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $20K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 55.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/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 paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,607/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $46K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $46,320 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,510, and experienced paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators can clear $58,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,092/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 55.4% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $47,294 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.