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Life As a Rail Car Repairer
Rail Car Repairer Definition 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?
- Disassemble units such as water pumps, control valves, and compressors so that repairs can be made.
- Repair car upholstery.
- Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches.
- Examine car roofs for wear and damage, and repair defective sections, using roofing material, cement, nails, and waterproof paint.
- Align car sides for installation of car ends and crossties, using width gauges, turnbuckles, and wrenches.
- Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
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Rail Car Repairer Required Skills
These are the skills Rail Car Repairers say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Types of Rail Car Repairer
- Brake Liner
- Brake Adjuster
- Truck Mechanic Apprentice
- Mine Car Mechanic
- Rail Car Repairman
What Kind of Rail Car Repairer Job Opportunities Are There?
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.
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.
Do Rail Car Repairers Make A Lot Of Money?
Rail Car Repairers make between $33,700 and $78,420 a year.
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?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Rail Car Repairers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Windows
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox
How do I Become a Rail Car Repairer?
What kind of Rail Car Repairer requirements are there?
How many years of work experience do I need?
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Rail Car Repairer may also be interested in:
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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