Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $44,760. BLS estimates approximately 60 people work in this occupation in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is 16.1% below the national median ($53,340).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,230 | $17.90 |
| 25th percentile | $39,490 | $18.99 |
| Median (50th) | $44,760 | $21.52 |
| 75th percentile | $50,350 | $24.21 |
| 90th percentile | $54,390 | $26.15 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 2.5% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 12.9% — Reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.358
- Location quotient
- 1.33
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC’s regional price level is below the national average (index 88.486, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $50,584 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.