SOC 47-2071 · Richmond, VA metro

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Richmond, VA

The average salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Richmond, Virginia is $50,500 a year ($24.28 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,880: half of the 250 people in this job in the Richmond, VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

$50,500average per year

$24.28 / hourMedian $49,880Take-home ≈ $40,667

  • $38K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $60K90th

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

250people in this job
-14%vs U.S. average
#1 of 4Virginia metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay range in Richmond

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,610 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,350 or more. The middle half of paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Richmond earn between $40,760 and $59,770.

  • $38K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $60K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$50,500$4,208$24.28
Median$49,880$4,157$23.98
Entry level (25th percentile)$40,760$3,397$19.60
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,770$4,981$28.74

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Richmond vs. Virginia and the U.S.

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Richmond earn about the same as the Virginia average ($49,640) and 14% less than the U.S. average ($59,000). At the median the gap is -6% against the U.S. median of $53,340.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Richmond$50,500$49,880$37,610$60,350250
Virginia$49,640$48,060$38,130$60,4101,660
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 Richmond

On the average salary of $50,500, a single filer in Richmond takes home about $40,667 a year, or $3,389 a month and $1,564 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Virginia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Richmond area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $50,500 buys what about $51,605 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Richmond ($51,460). A typical home costs $397,705, or 7.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $50,500 is worth in another city

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

Richmond ranks 1st of 4 Virginia metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

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

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 Richmond: questions

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

$24.28 an hour on average, and $23.98 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,610 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,760, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $40,667 a year ($3,389 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,500.

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

The average here is 14% 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 Richmond, VA (40060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
  • 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 (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.42, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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