As of June 2026, Highway Maintenance Workers has an AI-exposure score of 44/100 (Moderate exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Highway Maintenance Workers
More exposed than 18% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$50,260. About 12,300 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Construction roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as durable (53%).
- Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
- Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
- Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
- Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
- Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
- Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
- Perform roadside landscaping work, such as clearing weeds and brush, and planting and trimming trees.
- 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.
- Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
- Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.
- Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
- Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
- Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
- Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
- Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
- Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.
- Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.
- Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
- Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
Safer adjacent roles
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it · 5–10 safer roles with salary, demand & reachability · skill-gap map · a 30/60/90-day roadmap · plus a résumé & LinkedIn rewrite · PDF.
Grounded in O*NET + the Anthropic Economic Index + BLS — personalized to your role.
Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
Instant delivery — your personalized report is ready about a minute after checkout.