Rail Car Repairers
ManufacturingO*NET 49-3043.00United States
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
- Median annual earnings
- $67,435
- Projected change
- +7%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 24.66K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
61.4% of the workforce
Growing to 26.4K by 2035
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The work
What rail car repairers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Record conditions of cars, and repair and maintenance work performed or to be performed.
- Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed.
- Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
- Inspect the interior and exterior of rail cars coming into rail yards to identify defects and to determine the extent of wear and damage.
- Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches.
- Test units for operability before and after repairs.
- Adjust repaired or replaced units as needed to ensure proper operation.
- Repair, fabricate, and install steel or wood fittings, using blueprints, shop sketches, and instruction manuals.
- 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.
- Paint car exteriors, interiors, and fixtures.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $46,683
- 25th percentile
- $54,421
- 50th percentile
- $67,435
- 75th percentile
- $84,527
- 90th percentile
- $95,215
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $67,435 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7%faster than average
202524,662 jobs
2035 projected26,400 jobs
1,738 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 61.4%
- Certificate
- 37.6%
- Associate degree
- 1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- 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.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Railcar Repairmen335 postings
- 02Railcar Mechanics51 postings
- 03Air Freight Managers40 postings
- 04Freight Coordinators38 postings
- 05Railcar Repairmen/Carmen20 postings
- 06Mobile Repair Technicians13 postings
- 07Repair Technicians5 postings
- 08Mechanical Repair Technicians3 postings
- 09Maintenance and Repair Managers2 postings
- 10Freight Supervisors1 postings
- 11Mobile Mechanics1 postings
- 12Repair Supervisors1 postings
Top employers
- 01Union Tank Car Company61 postings
- 02Transco Railway Company34 postings
- 03Norfolk Southern33 postings
- 04Guardian Rail Systems30 postings
- 05Utlx28 postings
- 06Road & Rail Services24 postings
- 07Union Pacific21 postings
- 08Petroleum Services18 postings
- 09Union Pacific Railroad18 postings
- 10BNSF Railway16 postings
- 11Transco Railcar Repair12 postings
- 12Blue Signal Search11 postings
- 13Union Tank Car Company - Utlx11 postings
- 14Cathcart Rail10 postings
- 15American Industrial Transport8 postings
- 16PSC7 postings
- 17CalmHR6 postings
- 18Cummings Technical Solutions5 postings
- 19Wilbert Plastic Services4 postings
- 20Inserv3 postings
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