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Rail Car Repairer

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Life As a Rail Car Repairer

Example of Rail Car Repairer Job Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.

Life As a Rail Car Repairer: What Do They Do?

  • Replace defective wiring and insulation, and tighten electrical connections, using hand tools.
  • Align car sides for installation of car ends and crossties, using width gauges, turnbuckles, and wrenches.
  • Test electrical systems of cars by operating systems and using testing equipment such as ammeters.
  • Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
  • Examine car roofs for wear and damage, and repair defective sections, using roofing material, cement, nails, and waterproof paint.
  • Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed.

Things a Rail Car Repairer Should Know How to Do

Rail Car Repairers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

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.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Other Rail Car Repairer Job Titles

  • Rail Specialist
  • Machine or Machinery Mechanic
  • Signal Fitter
  • Gearman
  • Rail Crew Member

Job Opportunities for Rail Car Repairers

There were about 22,300 jobs for Rail Car Repairer in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.9% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,100 new jobs for Rail Car Repairer by 2026. The BLS estimates 2,300 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Rail Car Repairer are Idaho, Utah, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Wisconsin, West Virginia, or North Carolina. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Rail Car Repairers Salary

The salary for Rail Car Repairers ranges between about $33,700 and $78,420 a year.

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Rail Car Repairers who work in West Virginia, New York, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.

How much do Rail Car Repairers make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $49,690
Alaska $68,390
Arizona $56,200
Arkansas $55,650
California $55,320
Colorado $60,820
Florida $57,780
Georgia $46,500
Idaho $45,620
Illinois $52,920
Indiana $50,190
Iowa $48,680
Kansas $49,060
Kentucky $56,720
Louisiana $51,470
Maine $44,470
Maryland $65,350
Massachusetts $67,660
Michigan $55,880
Minnesota $58,240
Mississippi $45,830
Missouri $53,170
Montana $58,800
Nebraska $46,160
New Jersey $65,890
New Mexico $62,300
New York $71,250
North Carolina $44,740
North Dakota $54,150
Ohio $49,100
Oklahoma $52,460
Oregon $64,230
Pennsylvania $61,430
South Carolina $46,400
Tennessee $57,400
Texas $52,290
Utah $41,920
Virginia $62,300
Washington $58,090
West Virginia $66,810
Wisconsin $56,040
Wyoming $60,730

What Tools do Rail Car Repairers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Rail Car Repairers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Mozilla Firefox

How to Become a Rail Car Repairer

Are there Rail Car Repairers education requirements?

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What work experience do I need to become a Rail Car Repairer?

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Where Rail Car Repairers Work

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Those thinking about becoming a Rail Car Repairer might also be interested in the following careers:

Those who work as a Rail Car Repairer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Margo Wright via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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