Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-4061.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $70,075
- Projected change
- +5.4%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 23.72K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
100% of the workforce
Growing to 24.99K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.
- Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
- Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.
- Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.
- Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.
- Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.
- Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points or frogs, using portable power grinders.
- Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.
- Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $45,635
- 25th percentile
- $51,272
- 50th percentile
- $70,075
- 75th percentile
- $81,682
- 90th percentile
- $87,422
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $70,075 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+5.4%average or slower
202523,717 jobs
2035 projected24,992 jobs
1,275 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
- 100%
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- 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.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Drivers/Equipment Operators12 postings
- 02Trackmen10 postings
- 03Maintenance Operators2 postings
- 04Maintenance Welders2 postings
- 05Dog Trainers1 postings
- 06Operators1 postings
- 07Railroad Engineers1 postings
- 08Repairers1 postings
Top employers
- 01Road & Rail Services12 postings
- 02BNSF Railway2 postings
- 03Marmon Railroad Services2 postings
- 044 Paws For Ability1 postings
- 05AutoZone1 postings
- 06Cincinnati Reds1 postings
- 07Everett Aquasox1 postings
- 08Gary Southshore Railcats1 postings
- 09Maine Track Maintenance1 postings
- 10Major League Baseball1 postings
- 11Morehead City Marlins1 postings
- 12New Jersey Jackals1 postings
- 13Premium Peanut1 postings
- 14State of Maryland1 postings
- 15USA Baseball1 postings
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