Deadline Monday to apply for IDOT seasonal snow and ice removal jobs

[September 12, 2022]  By Zeta Cross | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Transportation is hiring 2,500 people to help with snow and ice removal and highway maintenance starting in October. But anyone who is interested needs to apply soon. The application deadline is Monday.

Paul Wappel, public information officer with IDOT, said people are needed across the state in all nine transportation districts.

“We need help. IDOT plowed more than 45,000 lane miles last year. We want to keep the roads and bridges open and safe,” Wappel told Illinois Radio Network.

Workers are required to respond promptly whenever inclement weather hits. IDOT’s seasonal hiring program is known as the “snowbird” program. Applicants must have a commercial driver's license.


“The primary purpose of these positions is to help our full-time staff with snow and ice removal on roads and bridges throughout the state,” Wappel said.

Details are on the IDOT website Snowbirds.

“Keeping the roads safe in emergency conditions is our priority,” Wappel said.

The formal job titles for the seasonal positions are Snow Removal Operators and Winter Salaried Highway Maintainers. Both full-time and on-call positions are available. Successful applicants run the gamut from farmers and bus drivers to people who are retired.

Men and women are encouraged to apply. Thanks to a new state law, veterans will be given preference in hiring this year. Candidates must pass a physical exam and submit to a background check. A pre-employment vision test and blood and alcohol screening are required.

“Typically, these positions start in the middle of October and go through the middle of April,” Wappel said. “In some cases, these positions can head to full-time employment. So that is a plus.”

There is a short animated video with an overview of the program on IDOT’s YouTube channel, Seasonal Jobs.

Applicants are selected based on availability, job-related experience and qualifications. Snowbirds are required to be on call nights, weekends and holidays – whenever bad weather happens. Apply online; the deadline for applications is Sept. 12.