Logan County seeks highway maintenance specialist for Sterling East crew

A Highway Maintenance Specialist job on the Sterling East crew starts at $53,400 a year, with overtime available, and it comes with the kind of work Logan County drivers notice fast: snowplowing, heavy-equipment operation, guardrail repairs and emergency response.

The opening, with the State of Colorado, also requires a Class A or B CDL and includes strong benefits, paid training and a four-day summer workweek. That mix makes the post more than a basic employment notice. It is a front-line public works job tied directly to whether roads around Sterling stay open, visible and safe when weather turns or hazards appear.

Colorado Department of Transportation describes its maintenance crews as the people who handle snow-and-ice operations, heavy construction, landscaping and other work under hazardous, high-volume traffic conditions. Statewide, CDOT says it maintains 23,000 miles of roadway, and its maintenance career path includes traffic control, traffic incident management, winter maintenance operations, heavy equipment operation, pavement repair and emergency response. In a county where long rural stretches can be hit hard by blowing snow, crashes or roadside damage, those duties can shape commute times and freight movement as much as any paving project.

The workload in and around Sterling has been real, not theoretical. CDOT announced a nine-mile resurfacing and widening project on Colorado Highway 61 east of Sterling beginning May 6, 2024, with completion expected in November. In March 2026, the agency said another project was underway on US Highway 6 between Sterling and Atwood, covering Mile Point 398 to 405 and including resurfacing, bridge replacement and roadway improvements. Those projects point to a transportation system that needs steady maintenance crews, not just seasonal help.

CDOT says it has built a training pipeline to fill those jobs, including a CDL Training Academy with classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction. The agency also says it provides free CDL training for employees such as snowplow drivers and heavy equipment operators, and a 2022 announcement said its highway maintainer apprenticeship is a two-year paid mentorship that leads to a CDL and Highway Maintenance Specialist qualification.

For Logan County, the Sterling East opening signals more than one hiring need. It reflects the pressure on a rural road system that depends on trained workers to clear snow, fix damage and keep traffic moving from one end of the county to the other.