SOC 47-2071 · Appleton, WI metro

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Appleton, WI

The average salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Appleton, Wisconsin is $73,890 a year ($35.52 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $78,260: half of the 40 people in this job in the Appleton, 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).

$73,890average per year

$35.52 / hourMedian $78,260Take-home ≈ $57,934

  • $48K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $78KMedian
  • $94K75th
  • $94K90th

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

40people in this job
+25%vs U.S. average
#3 of 4Wisconsin metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay range in Appleton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $94,160 or more. The middle half of paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Appleton earn between $61,530 and $94,160.

  • $48K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $78KMedian
  • $94K75th
  • $94K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$73,890$6,158$35.52
Median$78,260$6,522$37.62
Entry level (25th percentile)$61,530$5,128$29.58
Experienced (75th percentile)$94,160$7,847$45.27

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Appleton vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Appleton earn 8% more than the Wisconsin average ($68,570) and 25% more than the U.S. average ($59,000). At the median the gap is +47% against the U.S. median of $53,340.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Appleton$73,890$78,260$47,780$94,16040
Wisconsin$68,570$69,020$37,440$92,150960
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 Appleton

On the average salary of $73,890, a single filer in Appleton takes home about $57,934 a year, or $4,828 a month and $2,228 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

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

Wisconsin paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Appleton area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.4), so the average $73,890 buys what about $79,951 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Appleton ($49,910). A typical home costs $350,370, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $73,890 is worth in another city

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

Appleton ranks 3rd of 4 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($81,540).

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

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 Appleton: questions

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

$35.52 an hour on average, and $37.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,530, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $57,934 a year ($4,828 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,890.

Do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators earn more in Appleton 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 Appleton, WI (11540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.4%.
  • 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 1.12, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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