How to hire highway maintenance workers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures. • 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. • Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites. • Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools. • Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead. • Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders. • Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment. • Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong monitoring, active listening and speaking skills • Working knowledge of public safety and security and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $24.16 an hour ($50,260 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for highway maintenance workers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to 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. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What highway maintenance workers do
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
- 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.
- Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
- Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
- Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
- Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
- Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for highway maintenance workers
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3.4% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 11,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay highway maintenance workers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $65,330 |
| Washington | $65,300 |
| Connecticut | $64,870 |
| Minnesota | $63,150 |
| Illinois | $61,700 |
| Alabama | $37,430 |
| Arkansas | $35,740 |
| Mississippi | $35,120 |
See highway maintenance workers pay in every state
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.