Description
Perform physically demanding work on asphalt paving and maintenance projects. Operate hand and power tools and light equipment such as asphalt rakes, lutes, plate compactors, tack sprayers, pavers, rollers, saws, and skid steers. Prepare and clean work areas; set grades and edges; place, spread, and compact hot mix asphalt; and support paving, milling, and patching crews on roads and parking lots. May set up traffic control and clean and maintain tools and equipment.
- • Clean and prepare paving sites, removing debris and hazards.
- • Read plans, grades, and instructions to determine paving activities.
- • Set up and maintain traffic control and flagging around work zones.
- • Signal paver, roller, dump truck, and milling operators to coordinate movements.
- • Place and spread hot mix asphalt by hand using rakes and lutes to line and grade.
- • Compact asphalt with plate compactors, rollers, or handheld tampers to density specs.
- • Check mat depth, yield, and slopes using tapes, rulers, and straightedges.
- • Apply tack coat or bonding agents with sprayers or brooms.
- • Set stringlines, edges, and forms for paving limits, tie-ins, and transitions.
- • Assist with screed setup and adjustments, augers, and joint heaters.
- • Cut, clean, and seal joints and edges using saws, routers, and sealants.
- • Build and remove temporary ramps, barricades, and lane closures.
- • Load, unload, and stage tools, materials, and equipment per plan.
- • Sweep, blow, and clean surfaces before tack and paving.
- • Support milling operations by cleaning, shoveling, and directing trucks.
- • Remove deteriorated asphalt by saw cutting, breaking, and disposal.
- • Patch potholes and utility cuts with hot or cold mix and compact to finish.
- • Install and adjust manhole risers, valve boxes, and grates to final grade.
- • Monitor and record mix temperatures, truck counts, and delivery times.
- • Tend burners, heaters, and generators for pavers, rollers, and tack kettles.
- • Operate skid steers, small rollers, plate compactors, and brooms.
- • Clean, fuel, and perform basic maintenance on tools and paving equipment.
- • Apply sealcoat, crack sealant, primer, or paint markings as directed.
- • Implement erosion and sediment controls and manage waste per procedures.
- • Assist crew members and follow safety procedures around hot materials and traffic.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
