A civil construction tradesperson does the skilled hands-on work on road, utility and drainage jobs: setting forms and rebar, placing and finishing concrete, laying pipe, and running a roller or a small machine. They read the plans and stakes to get it right and log their time and equipment each day.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, heavy and civil construction · BLS, May 2025
The Skilled Tradesperson plays a critical role in supporting civil and infrastructure projects by expertly operating machinery and executing specialized tasks including concrete, steel, and asphalt work. This role underpins the quality, safety, and timeliness of our large-scale construction initiatives.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Operate heavy machinery safely and efficiently to support diverse construction projects.
Execute specialized tasks such as concrete pouring, steel reinforcement, and asphalt application.
Interpret blueprints and technical drawings to ensure accurate project execution.
Collaborate with site supervisors and team members to adhere to project schedules and quality standards.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct pre-operation inspections and routine checks on machinery to ensure optimal performance.
Maintain detailed records of equipment use, maintenance, and project progress.
Perform calibrated tasks as per project specifications, adapting techniques as needed.
Interface with on-site supervisors to update on daily progress and safety compliance.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Equipment Utilization Rate: >90%.
Project Completion Accuracy: 98%.
Safety Compliance Incident Rate: <2%.
On-Time Task Completion: >95%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent with a minimum of 3 years’ experience in construction or a related field.
Proficient in operating heavy machinery and interpreting construction blueprints.
Strong technical aptitude with excellent attention to detail.
Effective communication and teamwork skills to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in civil infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and public utilities.
Worked specifically on tasks involving concrete, steel, and asphalt.
Familiarity with industry safety protocols and regulatory standards.
Demonstrated success in multidisciplinary team environments on large-scale projects.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
Stand, bend, and work in physically demanding conditions for prolonged periods.
Operate in noisy and dynamic construction environments.
Adapt to outdoor working conditions with exposure to varying weather patterns.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are from 7 AM to 5 PM.
Occasional overtime and weekend shifts may be required based on project needs.
On-call responsibilities for urgent project requirements.
Minimal travel between local job sites as projects dictate.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage range: $30-$40 per hour.
Performance-based bonus opportunities available.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans provided.
401(k) plan with company match, paid time off, and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a culture of respect, innovation, and continuous growth to empower every team member.
Our commitment to safety and high-quality work drives us to exceed client expectations on every project.
We invest in professional development and mentorship to support career advancement.
Join our inclusive team where collaboration, dedication, and excellence are celebrated daily.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A tradesperson at a civil contractor rarely does one thing all week. The same person may lay pipe on Monday, tie rebar on Wednesday and run a roller behind the paver on Friday.
Public jobs pay by the kind of work
Davis-Bacon covers federal and federally assisted contracts over 2,000 dollars to build or repair public buildings and public works. The contractor turns in certified payroll every week, and each worker gets at least the posted rate for the work actually performed. A hand who ran a roller for three hours and set forms for five can get both rates, if the time records split the hours that way. Some states have prevailing wage laws too. Source: 29 CFR 5.5: Davis-Bacon contract provisions, pay by classification (Cornell LII).
Water on the blade when cutting pavement
Saw-cutting pavement for a utility patch or a curb repair throws silica dust. OSHA's Table 1 says a walk-behind saw, or a drivable saw used outdoors, needs water fed to the blade, and outdoors that control needs no respirator. A small milling machine needs water sprays with a surfactant mixed in. Hire people who hook up the water before they start the saw. Source: OSHA: Respirable crystalline silica in construction (29 CFR 1926.1153).
Rebar gets guarded as it goes in
Headwalls, box culverts and bridge decks leave rows of bar sticking up. OSHA requires any protruding rebar a worker could fall onto or into to be guarded against impalement. OSHA has said common mushroom caps mostly stop cuts and scrapes, and it accepts covers or wooden troughs that can take 250 pounds dropped from 10 feet. A good hand guards the bars as they set them. Source: OSHA interpretation: rebar caps, covers and troughs under 29 CFR 1926.701(b) (April 24, 2006).
The plant and the weather set the day
Hot mix comes from a plant on a schedule and can't sit long in the truck. Concrete has its own clock once it's batched. A civil tradesperson learns to be set up before the first load arrives, and to speak up when rain or cold puts the spec at risk.
Grades come from stakes and cut sheets
Surveyors set stakes, and the plans give elevations, slopes and offsets. The tradesperson has to read a cut sheet, check a form height against a stake, and catch a mistake before concrete covers it. On jobs with GPS rovers, they may check grade on their own.
How much civil construction tradespeople make
The closest BLS group for civil construction tradespeople is construction laborers. Construction laborers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $22.83 an hour ($47,490 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $47,120 median for construction laborers in all industries. About 255,760 of the 1,096,780 construction laborers in that survey work for heavy and civil construction.
Hourly with overtime. BLS counts most of these workers as construction laborers, and the template's hourly range sits well above that median because it asks for years of experience and machine skills. On prevailing wage jobs, the rate follows the kind of work done each hour.
Heavy and civil construction
$47,490$47,490 median Middle half $38,860–$63,650 10th–90th $36,170–$84,410
All industries
$47,120$47,120 median Middle half $38,620–$59,740 10th–90th $35,090–$78,090
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Heavy and civil construction
$36,170
$38,860
$47,490
$63,650
$84,410
All industries
$35,090
$38,620
$47,120
$59,740
$78,090
BLS doesn’t publish pay for civil contractors on their own. These figures cover heavy and civil engineering construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Three or more years on road, utility or site concrete work
Reads cut sheets, stakes and plan profiles
Sets forms and ties rebar to plan without rework
Runs at least one small machine well, such as a roller or mini excavator
Works safely beside live traffic and open trenches
Teach these on the job
Your daily time and equipment log
Each public owner's testing and inspection steps
Running a paver screed or a GPS rover
Your flagging and traffic control setup
Your pre-shift machine check forms
Hand tools for forming, finishing and rebar, plus concrete saws, plate compactors and the small machines on the job, like rollers, skid steers and mini excavators. In the posting, split the machines a hire must already run from the ones you will teach.
Civil construction tradesperson interview questions
Two of the 7 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Overhead power lines
You're told to dig near overhead power lines. What do you do before you start?
A strong answer: Confirms the required clearance with the supervisor, uses a spotter, marks limits, and asks about de-energizing or covering the lines; never guesses distance.
Behavioral · Owning mistakes
Tell me about a time something you built or graded had to be redone. What happened?
A strong answer: Owns it, names the cause such as a misread stake or a skipped grade check, fixed it and now checks grade more often.
What trades does a civil construction tradesperson cover?
Most often concrete forming and finishing, rebar, pipe laying and asphalt paving, plus running smaller machines. The template lists concrete, steel and asphalt work along with heavy machinery. Few people are strong at all of them, so pick the two that matter most for your jobs, hire for those, and cross-train the rest.
How much does a civil construction tradesperson make?
Construction laborers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $22.83 an hour ($47,490 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $38,860 and $63,650 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Is a skilled tradesperson the same as an equipment operator?
Not quite. An operator spends most of the day in one machine. A tradesperson moves between hand work and smaller machines as the crew needs. On a Davis-Bacon job the difference shows up on payroll, because each hour is tied to the classification of the work done in it.
Does a civil tradesperson work nights?
On busy roads, sometimes. When a public owner allows lane closures only at night or on weekends, the crew works then so traffic keeps moving. Night paving and utility tie-ins mean work lights, extra traffic control and a flipped sleep schedule. Say in the posting how often night shifts come up and how you handle them.
Why does a tradesperson keep equipment records?
The template asks for detailed logs of equipment use and progress. Those logs feed job costing, flag when a machine is due for service, and on federally funded jobs back up the hours on the weekly certified payroll. A hand who fills them out the same day saves the office a lot of guessing.
What safety training should a civil tradesperson have?
Before the first day on a crew, cover trench and excavation hazards, silica controls for saws and breakers, and working beside traffic. At excavations, OSHA requires anyone exposed to public traffic to wear a warning vest or other high-visibility garment. Then add any training your contracts name in their special provisions.
