This occupation is part of the Construction and Extraction cluster
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About the Job
Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement, repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road or plow snow from roadway.
It is also Called
- Caltrans Equipment Operator
- Caltrans Landscape Maintenance Worker
- Equipment Operator (EO)
- Heavy Equipment Operator
- Highway Maintainer
- Highway Maintenance Crew Worker
- Highway Maintenance Technician
- Highway Maintenance Worker
- Highway Worker
- Hot Oiler
What They Do
- Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
- Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
- Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
- Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.
- Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
- Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
- Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
Interests
People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: RC.
This means people who work in this occupation generally have Realistic interests, but also prefer Conventional environments.
Work Values
People who work in this occupation generally prize Support, but also value Relationships and Working Conditions in their jobs.
Things They Need to Know
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Things They Need to Be Able to Do
- Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Additional Resources
- California Occupational Guide - A detailed guide to this occupation provided by the California Employment Development Department (EDD)
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Wages
In 2012, the average annual wage in California was $51,620.00 with most people making between $32,640.00 and $72,650.00
Outlook
During 2010, this occupation employed approximately 4,100 people in California. It is projected that there will be 4,500 employed in 2020.
This occupation will have about 40 openings due to growth and about 110 replacement openings for approximately 150 total annual openings.
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