SOC 47-2071 · Albuquerque, NM metro

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Albuquerque, NM

The average salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Albuquerque, New Mexico is $47,930 a year ($23.04 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $45,550: half of the 260 people in this job in the Albuquerque, NM metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

$47,930average per year

$23.04 / hourMedian $45,550Take-home ≈ $39,598

  • $37K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $60K90th

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

260people in this job
-19%vs U.S. average
#2 of 4New Mexico metros
96cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay range in Albuquerque

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,950 or more. The middle half of paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Albuquerque earn between $45,110 and $51,430.

  • $37K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $60K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,930$3,994$23.04
Median$45,550$3,796$21.90
Entry level (25th percentile)$45,110$3,759$21.69
Experienced (75th percentile)$51,430$4,286$24.73

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Albuquerque vs. New Mexico and the U.S.

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Albuquerque earn about the same as the New Mexico average ($47,700) and 19% less than the U.S. average ($59,000). At the median the gap is -15% against the U.S. median of $53,340.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Albuquerque$47,930$45,550$37,160$59,950260
New Mexico$47,700$45,880$37,130$60,180990
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 Albuquerque

On the average salary of $47,930, a single filer in Albuquerque takes home about $39,598 a year, or $3,300 a month and $1,523 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

New Mexico paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Albuquerque area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.5), so the average $47,930 buys what about $50,164 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Albuquerque ($48,060). A typical home costs $352,894, or 7.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,930 is worth in another city

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in other New Mexico cities

Albuquerque ranks 2nd of 4 New Mexico metro areas for this job; Santa Fe pays the most ($50,270).

All Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salaries in New Mexico

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

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

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

$23.04 an hour on average, and $21.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,110, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $39,598 a year ($3,300 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,930.

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

The average here is 19% less 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 Albuquerque, NM (10740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.36, this job is 2.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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