Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators: Career Overview
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
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What Tasks Do Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Perform?
Typical responsibilities of rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators span:
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.
- Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
- Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
- Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
- Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
Skills and Knowledge
Top rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Ballast Cleaning Machine Operator
- Emergency Service Restorer
- Machine Operator
- Maintenance Laborer
- Oil Distributor Tender
- Portable Grinding Machine Operator
- Rail Maintenance Worker
- Rail Track Layer
How Many Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Are There?
There are about 200,941 rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.2% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $60,332 |
| Hourly median | $29.01 |
| 10th percentile | $37,471 |
| 25th percentile | $48,902 |
| 75th percentile | $71,763 |
| 90th percentile | $83,194 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $90,410 |
| Delaware | $86,330 |
| New York | $84,840 |
| Massachusetts | $82,840 |
| Indiana | $79,320 |
| Iowa | $79,240 |
| Illinois | $76,930 |
| Arizona | $75,770 |
| New Mexico | $74,460 |
| Wisconsin | $70,870 |
| Kansas | $69,990 |
| Wyoming | $69,690 |
| Missouri | $69,610 |
| California | $69,260 |
| Arkansas | $68,950 |
| Montana | $67,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,120 |
| Washington | $64,950 |
| New Jersey | $64,840 |
| South Dakota | $64,550 |
| Colorado | $63,290 |
| Idaho | $62,810 |
| Utah | $61,520 |
| Tennessee | $61,290 |
| Nevada | $60,960 |
| Florida | $60,860 |
| Georgia | $60,660 |
| Virginia | $60,460 |
| Oregon | $60,380 |
| Texas | $56,040 |
| Alabama | $48,970 |
| Minnesota | $48,490 |
| Kentucky | $47,990 |
| West Virginia | $47,330 |
| Ohio | $47,160 |
| North Carolina | $45,760 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $82,840 | 2.7% | 1.01 |
| Middle Atlantic | $81,714 | 31.0% | 2.65 |
| Far Western US | $66,400 | 7.8% | 0.62 |
| Great Lakes | $65,749 | 17.6% | 1.51 |
| Rocky Mountains | $65,314 | 5.0% | 2.47 |
| Plains States | $62,729 | 7.5% | 1.34 |
| Southeast | $53,705 | 16.4% | 0.88 |
| Southwest | $49,049 | 12.0% | 0.93 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $84,840 | 2,540 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $84,800 | 200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $84,000 | 60 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $82,910 | 40 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $78,280 | 480 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $70,640 | 90 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $62,020 | 30 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $57,600 | 40 |
Which Industries Hire Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Most rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 11,560 | $64,550 |
| Construction | 980 | $45,890 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 50 | $66,350 |
Below are examples of industries where rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators work:
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Contact With Others
How to Become Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Typical rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Construction Laborers (Primary-Long)
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (Primary-Short)
- Pile Driver Operators (Primary-Short)
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Primary-Short)
- Pipelayers (Supplemental)
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers (Supplemental)
- Highway Maintenance Workers (Supplemental)
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Aspiring rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators commonly pursue programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-4061.00 (Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators).
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