Public Works / Street Maintenance Worker

Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.

O*NET definition of Highway Maintenance Workers (SOC 47-4051) · Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed.

Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; HVAC maintenance; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs.

O*NET definition of Maintenance and Repair Workers, General (SOC 49-9071) · Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed.

Education workers say the job requires

Share of surveyed workers in Highway Maintenance Workers (SOC 47-4051) naming each level as required to be hired, 20 respondents, O*NET survey July 2017. Each employer sets its own minimum.

Education workers say the job requires

Share of surveyed workers in Maintenance and Repair Workers, General (SOC 49-9071) naming each level as required to be hired, 58 respondents, O*NET survey August 2021. Each employer sets its own minimum.

General maintenance and repair workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. They usually learn their skills on the job while working alongside more experienced workers. Some may enter the occupation through apprenticeships or training programs.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “General Maintenance and Repair Workers”, published August 27, 2026. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Highway Maintenance Workers (SOC 47-4051)

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General (SOC 49-9071)

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

1. Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.4.5
2. Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.4.4
3. Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.4.3
4. Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.4.3
5. Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.4.2
6. Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.4.2
7. Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.4.1
8. Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.4.1
9. Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.4.0
10. Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.4.0

The 10 most important of 12 core tasks for Highway Maintenance Workers, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of July 2017.

1. Perform routine maintenance, such as inspecting drives, motors, or belts, checking fluid levels, replacing filters, or doing other preventive maintenance actions.4.3
2. Inspect, operate, or test machinery or equipment to diagnose machine malfunctions.4.0
3. Adjust functional parts of devices or control instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, or straightedges.3.9
4. Repair machines, equipment, or structures, using tools such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, wrenches, or equipment such as precision measuring instruments or electrical or electronic testing devices.3.9
5. Order parts, supplies, or equipment from catalogs or suppliers.3.8
6. Diagnose mechanical problems and determine how to correct them, checking blueprints, repair manuals, or parts catalogs, as necessary.3.8
7. Design new equipment to aid in the repair or maintenance of machines, mechanical equipment, or building structures.3.8
8. Assemble, install, or repair wiring, electrical or electronic components, pipe systems, plumbing, machinery, or equipment.3.8
9. Clean or lubricate shafts, bearings, gears, or other parts of machinery.3.7
10. Record type and cost of maintenance or repair work.3.7

The 10 most important of 21 core tasks for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2021.