About ARTBA: ARTBA Young Executive Leadership Council Workforce Development Initiative: How Much Can I Earn in Transportation Construction?

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How Much Can I Earn in
Transportation Construction?

Competitive Wages

Hourly earnings in the transportation construction industry are far greater than earnings in food services (60 percent), hospitality (55 percent), manufacturing (18 percent) or retail trade (39 percent)—on average, highway, street and bridge construction workers earn 22 percent more than other hourly employees in the private sector.

Here are just a few examples of the hundreds of jobs and opportunities waiting for you—and the average annual salaries in 2007...

Construction Executive Management —
President and CEOs– $80,000 to $1,200,000
Executive vice presidents– $30,000 to $400,000
CFO or Accountant– $35,000 to $250,000

Designing the Infrastructure —
Highway, civil, traffic and
structural engineers– $58,000 to $71,000
Architects– $31,000 to $100,000
Surveyors– $30,000 to $66,000

Building the Infrastructure —
Project managers– $34,000 to $160,000
Foreman/supervisors and
superintendents– $35,000 to $114,000
Estimators– $26,000 to $190,000
Equipment mechanic– $19,950 to $86,100
Carpenter– $21,275 to $105,000
Concrete finisher– $19,450 to $75,600
Excavating machine operator– $21,000 to $92,400
Grader, dozer or scraper operator– $18,900 to $90,300
Paving/surfacing equipment operator– $18,900 to $96,600
Truck driver– $18,900 to $65,100
Skilled highway worker– $16,800 to $67,200
Laborer or helper– $14,700 to $65,800

Public Sector Officials —
Government transportation officials– $20,000 to $150,000
Highway maintenance workers– $18,000 to $50,000

Other Occupations —
Computer specialists– $30,000 to $115,000
Chief engineer– $43,000 to $162,000
Project engineer– $31,000 to $150,000
Financial managers– $50,000 to $100,000
Purchasing managers– $24,700 to $97,000
Personnel director– $35,000 to $140,000
Clerk and office workers– $16,000 to $82,000

Source: ARTBA analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data; ARTBA Transportation Construction Salary & Benefits Survey; Additional data from salary.com