SOC 47-2071 · Duluth, MN-WI metro

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Duluth, MN

The average salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Duluth, Minnesota is $73,650 a year ($35.41 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $68,180: half of the 50 people in this job in the Duluth, MN-WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% more than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

$73,650average per year

$35.41 / hourMedian $68,180Take-home ≈ $57,158

  • $58K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $92K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

50people in this job
+25%vs U.S. average
#2 of 3Minnesota metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay range in Duluth

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,120 a year or less, while the top 10% make $92,010 or more. The middle half of paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Duluth earn between $62,290 and $82,460.

  • $58K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $92K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$73,650$6,138$35.41
Median$68,180$5,682$32.78
Entry level (25th percentile)$62,290$5,191$29.95
Experienced (75th percentile)$82,460$6,872$39.64

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Duluth vs. Minnesota and the U.S.

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Duluth earn about the same as the Minnesota average ($71,850) and 25% more than the U.S. average ($59,000). At the median the gap is +28% against the U.S. median of $53,340.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Duluth$73,650$68,180$58,120$92,01050
Minnesota$71,850$68,180$50,310$99,920830
United States$59,000$53,340$38,230$92,23041,820

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Duluth

On the average salary of $73,650, a single filer in Duluth takes home about $57,158 a year, or $4,763 a month and $2,198 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

The Duluth, MN-WI metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in WI$57,779$4,815
Working in MN$57,158$4,763

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.

Minnesota paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

Is Duluth a good place for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Duluth area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.8), so the average $73,650 buys what about $82,969 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Duluth ($50,000). A typical home costs $264,350, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $73,650 is worth in another city

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in other Minnesota cities

Duluth ranks 2nd of 3 Minnesota metro areas for this job; Rochester pays the most ($79,200).

All Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salaries in Minnesota

Highest-paying cities for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

Riverside, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($105,890).

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in Duluth, MN.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in Duluth: questions

How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make an hour in Duluth?

$35.41 an hour on average, and $32.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary in Duluth?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,120 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,290, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators take-home pay in Duluth?

About $57,158 a year ($4,763 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,650. Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.

Do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators earn more in Duluth than elsewhere?

The average here is 25% more than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-2071; area Duluth, MN-WI (20260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.50, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.