Salary guide › Tennessee › Excavation and Paving
Excavation and Paving salary in Tennessee (2025)
Most excavation and paving workers in Tennessee earn $22.35 to $28.54 an hour.
The typical excavation and paving salary in Tennessee is $25.00 an hour, or $52,000 a year. That is 13% less than the national typical pay of $28.78. About 10,660 people do this work in Tennessee. BLS reports equipment operators and paving operators as two occupations. Both are shown. They are never averaged together.
Pay by job level
| Job | Hourly | Yearly | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $20.00 | $41,600 | Estimate: the lowest 10% of pay in this trade (BLS 10th percentile). BLS has no apprentice category. Apprentices often start near helper pay, then step up each year toward journeyman pay. Low |
| Journeyman | $25.00 | $52,000 | Typical pay in the trade. BLS does not split pay by license level. Medium |
| Foreman | $35.81 | $74,470 | BLS pay for construction supervisors across all trades. Medium |
| Superintendent | $52.98 | $110,200 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Project Manager | $52.98 | $110,200 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Estimator | $36.37 | $75,650 | BLS pay for cost estimators in all industries. Medium |
| Owner Operator | Depends on the business | There is no wage data for owners. They earn from business profit, not a wage. None | |
High exact government figure Medium closest government category Low estimate, method shown None no data
Best paying areas for excavation and paving workers in Tennessee
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $26.94 | $56,030 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $26.90 | $55,960 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $25.90 | $53,870 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $24.48 | $50,910 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $24.19 | $50,320 |
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $24.17 | $50,280 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $23.29 | $48,440 |
| Knoxville, TN | $19.49 | $40,540 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $18.81 | $39,120 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $18.52 | $38,510 |
Typical means the median: half earn more, half earn less. Only areas where the government publishes a figure are listed.
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See Tennessee exam prepUnion and prevailing wage pay for excavation and paving workers in Tennessee
Equipment operator, Shelby County: $23.06 an hour + $0.00 benefits = $23.06 total. High
This is the legal minimum on federal building jobs here, set from a 2021 wage survey. It is not a union rate.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor wage determination TN20260200 for Shelby County. Other counties have their own rates, and Tennessee may set its own for state jobs (list of state laws).
Union and prevailing figures include benefits and apply to specific jobs. The typical pay above is wages only, for everyone in the trade. They are not directly comparable.
How to earn more
- Get licensed. A license lets you bid work in your own name. See Tennessee exam prep.
- Know the steps. Experience, application, exams and what comes after. How to get licensed in Tennessee.
- Run your own company. Many states also require a business and law exam. Business exam prep.
- Move up to foreman. Construction supervisors in Tennessee typically earn $35.81 an hour.
Common questions
How much does a excavation and paving make in Tennessee?
Typical pay is $25.00 an hour, or $52,000 a year, based on government data for May 2025. Most earn between $22.35 and $28.54 an hour. That includes union and non union workers.
What is the starting pay for a excavation and paving apprentice in Tennessee?
Expect about $20.00 an hour to start. That is the lowest 10% of pay in the trade, an estimate. Apprentice pay then rises each year. The local union or the Tennessee apprenticeship agency publishes the exact steps.
Do union excavation and paving workers make more in Tennessee?
We have no official union rate for this trade in Tennessee. Government pay figures mix union and non union workers, so they cannot answer this alone. Ask the local union for its wage sheet and compare wages plus benefits.
What is the prevailing wage for excavation and paving in Tennessee?
On federal building jobs in Shelby County, the prevailing wage for the equipment operator classification is $23.06 an hour + $0.00 benefits = $23.06 total (wage determination TN20260200). Other counties differ, and Tennessee may set its own rate for state jobs.
What is the highest paying city for excavation and paving workers in Tennessee?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN pays the most, with typical pay of $26.94 an hour, based on government data for May 2025. Smaller areas may be missing because the government does not publish a figure for them.
Ready to get licensed in Tennessee? Start your excavation and paving exam prep with Contractor Pathway.
See Tennessee exam prepSee the full numbers and sources
Excavation and Paving salary in Tennessee: full pay range
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.00 | $41,600 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 25th percentile | $22.35 | $46,490 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| Median | $25.00 | $52,000 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 75th percentile | $28.54 | $59,360 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 90th percentile | $36.27 | $75,430 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.45 | $36,300 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 25th percentile | $18.16 | $37,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| Median | $20.44 | $42,510 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 75th percentile | $24.88 | $51,740 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 90th percentile | $28.99 | $60,300 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
A percentile shows where pay falls: the 10th percentile means 10% earn less. BLS publishes hourly and yearly figures; yearly assumes 2,080 paid hours (40 hours times 52 weeks). $115.00+ means BLS reports it only as at least that amount.
What affects excavation and paving pay in Tennessee
- Metro area. Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN pays a median of $26.94 an hour, 8% above the Tennessee median.
- Experience and skill. In Tennessee, the top 10% earn at least $36.27 an hour, while the bottom 10% earn $20.00 or less. That gap of $16.27 an hour reflects experience, specialty and responsibility.
- State market. The Tennessee median is 13% below the national median of $28.78 for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
- Overtime. BLS figures are straight time pay. Overtime, shift pay and bonuses are not included, so total earnings can be higher.
- Union status and public work. Union contracts and prevailing wage jobs set their own rates. Those are separate from the market figures above.
- License classification. A contractor license lets you bid and run your own jobs instead of earning a wage.
Comparing union, prevailing and market pay
These are not directly comparable. A union total package includes benefits, a prevailing wage applies only to covered public jobs, and the BLS market wage is straight time pay for everyone in the trade.
Methodology
Market figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, state and metro tables, May 2025. We never average across sources or occupations. Full methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state, metro and national tables. bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination TN20260200 (Davis-Bacon, building), Shelby, revision 1. sam.gov
- U.S. Department of Labor, state prevailing wage laws. dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/prevailing-wages
Salary information on Contractor Pathway is an estimate for educational purposes only. Figures come from public sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state prevailing wage determinations, federal wage determinations, and published union wage sheets. Actual pay depends on your employer, experience, local market, license classification, overtime, benefits, and the date of the data. Market wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes both union and non union workers. Union, prevailing wage, and market figures come from different sources and are not directly comparable. Some positions do not have official wage data, and those figures are marked as estimates with the method shown. This tool does not guarantee any wage, job offer, or income. Always confirm current rates with your local union, your state labor agency, or a prospective employer before making career or business decisions. Contractor Pathway is not responsible for decisions made based on these estimates.