Life As a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator
Job Description & Duties 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.
Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Responsibilities
- Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.
- Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.
- Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
- Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
- Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
- Operate tie-adzing machines to cut ties and permit insertion of fishplates that hold rails.
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Skills Needed to be a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator
When polled, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Track Service Worker
- Oil Distributor Tender
- Track Laying Machine Operator
- Track Repair Person
- Track Laying Equipment Operator
Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Employment Estimates
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 14,000 jobs in the United States for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,200 new jobs for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator by 2026. The BLS estimates 1,500 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator are Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. Watch out if you plan on working in Minnesota, Alaska, or Arkansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Make?
The typical yearly salary for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is somewhere between $33,970 and $79,900.
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators who work in Massachusetts, New York, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $45,170 |
| Arizona | $49,670 |
| Arkansas | $52,660 |
| California | $51,330 |
| Colorado | $54,160 |
| Florida | $47,060 |
| Georgia | $52,440 |
| Idaho | $55,690 |
| Illinois | $56,610 |
| Indiana | $57,100 |
| Iowa | $52,840 |
| Kansas | $50,290 |
| Kentucky | $45,780 |
| Louisiana | $52,690 |
| Maine | $44,460 |
| Maryland | $60,500 |
| Massachusetts | $76,360 |
| Michigan | $53,190 |
| Minnesota | $50,040 |
| Missouri | $48,380 |
| Montana | $54,390 |
| Nebraska | $58,960 |
| New Hampshire | $36,180 |
| New Jersey | $57,880 |
| New Mexico | $53,290 |
| New York | $69,080 |
| North Carolina | $48,800 |
| Ohio | $49,700 |
| Oklahoma | $37,850 |
| Oregon | $62,680 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,510 |
| South Carolina | $39,250 |
| South Dakota | $48,320 |
| Tennessee | $52,060 |
| Texas | $48,590 |
| Utah | $47,820 |
| Vermont | $49,250 |
| Virginia | $54,980 |
| Washington | $56,410 |
| West Virginia | $58,940 |
| Wisconsin | $50,560 |
| Wyoming | $65,850 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
- Data entry software
- Timekeeping software
Becoming a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator
Education needed to be a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Work?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
- Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers
- First-Line Supervisors of Agricultural Crop and Horticultural Workers
- Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators
- Locomotive Engineers
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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