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.
How to read this profile
BLS projects U.S. employment for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators to increase by 1.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 17,400 to 17,700 jobs. Its estimate of 1,200 annual openings includes replacement needs, so it does not represent current vacancies, contract postings, or freelance demand. The wage ($70,070), education (High school diploma or equivalent), and related experience (None) figures on this profile describe typical U.S. employees. O*NET skills describe the occupation; they do not assess an individual worker's proficiency.
Base employment (2024)
17,400
Projected employment (2034)
17,700
Projected change (2024–2034)
2%
Annual openings (projected average)
1,200
Pay & Preparation
$70,070
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Essential Skills
Operation and Control (3.75/5) • Operations Monitoring (3.75/5) • Equipment Maintenance (3.25/5) • Repairing (3.12/5) • Troubleshooting (3/5) • Quality Control Analysis (3/5)
O*NET describes occupational requirements; these ratings do not measure current job-posting frequency or an individual worker’s proficiency.
BLS projections are long-term estimates; annual openings include growth and replacement needs and are not current vacancies.
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