SOC 47-2071 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Seattle, WA

The average salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Seattle, Washington is $98,470 a year ($47.34 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $96,590: half of the 270 people in this job in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 67% more than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

$98,470average per year

$47.34 / hourMedian $96,590Take-home ≈ $78,104

  • $66K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $97KMedian
  • $102K75th
  • $143K90th

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

270people in this job
+67%vs U.S. average
#1 of 2Washington metros
111cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay range in Seattle

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $143,160 or more. The middle half of paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Seattle earn between $77,540 and $102,020.

  • $66K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $97KMedian
  • $102K75th
  • $143K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$98,470$8,206$47.34
Median$96,590$8,049$46.44
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,540$6,462$37.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$102,020$8,502$49.05

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Seattle vs. Washington and the U.S.

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Seattle earn 8% more than the Washington average ($90,790) and 67% more than the U.S. average ($59,000). At the median the gap is +81% against the U.S. median of $53,340.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Seattle$98,470$96,590$65,990$143,160270
Washington$90,790$90,530$58,860$118,760530
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 Seattle

On the average salary of $98,470, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $78,104 a year, or $6,509 a month and $3,004 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

Washington paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $98,470 buys what about $88,606 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $98,470 is worth in another city

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

Seattle ranks 1st of 2 Washington metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

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

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 Seattle: questions

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

$47.34 an hour on average, and $46.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,540, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $78,104 a year ($6,509 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $98,470. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

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

The average here is 67% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.3%.
  • 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 no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.48, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.48).

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