Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
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.
What it pays
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators earn a median of $33.69/hr — about $70,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $21.94/hr; the top 10% earn $42.03/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators earn a median of $33.69/hr — about $70,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $21.94/hr; the top 10% earn $42.03/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator make?
- The median pay is $33.69 per hour — roughly $70,000 a year, with the real range running from about $21.94/hr (10th percentile) to $42.03/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.