How much do road construction workers make

How to become a road worker

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
applying directly

College

You could take a college course like:

Level 1 Certificate in Construction Skills
Level 2 Diploma in Construction and Civil Engineering Operations (Construction)

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

More Information

equivalent entry requirements
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Apprenticeship

You could do a road surfacing operative or highways maintenance operative intermediate apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

More Information

equivalent entry requirements
guide to apprenticeships

Direct Application

You may be able to apply for jobs if you've got experience in other areas of construction work, like labouring or groundwork.

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Further information

You can find out more about training as a road worker from Go Construct.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of public safety and security
knowledge of building and construction
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
customer service skills
the ability to work well with others
physical fitness and endurance
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to operate and control equipment
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

be over 18 years of age
have a full driving licence

You may need to join the Street Works Qualifications Register and get a safety card, depending on your job.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a road worker, you could:

build, widen and resurface roads
repair cracks, potholes and other damage
lay pavements, kerbs and drains
maintain roadside verges and central reservations
paint road markings
install crash barriers, road signs, traffic lights and street lamps
dig trenches for cables and pipes
operate power tools and machinery
direct traffic around road works
grit roads and clear snow in winter
lead a team of workers

Working environment

You could work on the road.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers, physically demanding, dirty and noisy.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could be a road works team supervisor, known as a 'ganger', or become a highways technician, helping to design road improvements.

Current opportunities

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Jobs In the United Kingdom

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What are the chances of getting a job?

Chances of getting a job as a roading construction worker are good due to:

national and local government plans to spend over $5 billion on transport each year until 2028, with a focus on building and maintaining safer roads, walkways and cycleways.
the $850 million Transmission Gully project north of Wellington, which is expected to be under construction until 2020
roading construction workers being upskilled and moving into other roles within a company
high staff turnover – as roading construction workers are in demand, they can easily change employer for better conditions.

According to the Census, 1,821 roading construction workers worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Spring the best time to look for roading construction work

Job opportunities for roading construction workers are best in spring and early summer, when most roading work is done.

Temp agencies useful for finding your first role

Roading construction companies often prefer to employ roading construction workers on a temporary basis to start with. Although these are usually short-term contract positions, they're likely to lead to more permanent work if you're suited to the role.

Most roading construction workers work for private companies

Most roading construction workers are employed by construction or roading companies. About 30 large companies do 90% of the roading work in New Zealand.

Sources

Ministry of Transport, 'Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018/19 – 2027/28', June 2018, (www.transport.govt.nz).
New Zealand Transport Agency, 'Transmission Gully', accessed July 2018, (www.nzta.govt.nz).
Stats NZ, '2018 Census Data', 2019.

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)

Progression and specialisations

Roading construction workers may progress to become earthmoving machinery operators or drainlayers after further training. They may also move into team leader or management roles.

Earthmoving machine operator job information
Drainlayer job information

What is the highest paid construction worker?

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How much do road workers make in Ohio?

As of Oct 30, 2022, the average annual pay for the Road Construction jobs category in Ohio is $50,358 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.21 an hour. This is the equivalent of $968/week or $4,196/month.

What do most construction workers make an hour?

National estimates for Construction Laborers:.

How much do Road Construction workers make in Ontario?

The average pay for a Construction Worker is $57,598 a year and $28 an hour in Ontario, Canada. The average salary range for a Construction Worker is between $42,162 and $68,657. On average, a High School Degree is the highest level of education for a Construction Worker.

road construction workers make