What is a Rail Car Repairer?
Career Description Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
Life As a Rail Car Repairer: What Do They Do?
- Repair and maintain electrical and electronic controls for propulsion and braking systems.
- Perform scheduled maintenance, and clean units and components.
- Examine car roofs for wear and damage, and repair defective sections, using roofing material, cement, nails, and waterproof paint.
- Align car sides for installation of car ends and crossties, using width gauges, turnbuckles, and wrenches.
- Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
- Measure diameters of axle wheel seats, using micrometers, and mark dimensions on axles so that wheels can be bored to specified dimensions.
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Rail Car Repairer Skills
When polled, Rail Car Repairers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Types of Rail Car Repairer
- Plow Mechanic
- Car Builder
- Interlocking and Signal Mechanic
- Railroad Brake Repairer
- Locomotive Mechanic Apprentice
Rail Car Repairer Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 22,300 jobs in the United States for Rail Car Repairer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.9% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,100 new jobs for Rail Car Repairer by 2026. The BLS estimates 2,300 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Rail Car Repairer are Idaho, Utah, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Wisconsin, West Virginia, or North Carolina. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Rail Car Repairer
The average yearly salary of a Rail Car Repairer ranges between $33,700 and $78,420.
Rail Car Repairers who work in West Virginia, New York, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Rail Car Repairers make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $49,690 |
| Alaska | $68,390 |
| Arizona | $56,200 |
| Arkansas | $55,650 |
| California | $55,320 |
| Colorado | $60,820 |
| Florida | $57,780 |
| Georgia | $46,500 |
| Idaho | $45,620 |
| Illinois | $52,920 |
| Indiana | $50,190 |
| Iowa | $48,680 |
| Kansas | $49,060 |
| Kentucky | $56,720 |
| Louisiana | $51,470 |
| Maine | $44,470 |
| Maryland | $65,350 |
| Massachusetts | $67,660 |
| Michigan | $55,880 |
| Minnesota | $58,240 |
| Mississippi | $45,830 |
| Missouri | $53,170 |
| Montana | $58,800 |
| Nebraska | $46,160 |
| New Jersey | $65,890 |
| New Mexico | $62,300 |
| New York | $71,250 |
| North Carolina | $44,740 |
| North Dakota | $54,150 |
| Ohio | $49,100 |
| Oklahoma | $52,460 |
| Oregon | $64,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,430 |
| South Carolina | $46,400 |
| Tennessee | $57,400 |
| Texas | $52,290 |
| Utah | $41,920 |
| Virginia | $62,300 |
| Washington | $58,090 |
| West Virginia | $66,810 |
| Wisconsin | $56,040 |
| Wyoming | $60,730 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Rail Car Repairers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Rail Car Repairers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Windows
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox
How do I Become a Rail Car Repairer?
Individuals working as a Rail Car Repairer have obtained the following education levels:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Rail Car Repairer?
Rail Car Repairers Sector
The table below shows the approximate number of Rail Car Repairers employed by various industries.
Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Rail Car Repairer might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as a Rail Car Repairer sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Margo Wright via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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