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Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator

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What Does it Take to Be a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator?

Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Job Description 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.

Daily Life Of a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator

  • Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.
  • Turn wheels of machines, using lever controls, to adjust guidelines for track alignments or grades, following specifications.
  • Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.
  • Operate tie-adzing machines to cut ties and permit insertion of fishplates that hold rails.
  • Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
  • Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.

Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators say are important on the job.

Operation 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.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

  • Ballast Cleaning Machine Operator
  • Track Layer
  • Track Equipment Operator (TEO)
  • Track Man
  • Special Equipment Operator

Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Job Outlook

In the United States, there were 14,000 jobs for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,200 new jobs for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,500 positions for Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator are Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. Watch out if you plan on working in Minnesota, Alaska, or Arkansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Salary

The average yearly salary of a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator ranges between $33,970 and $79,900.

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Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators who work in Massachusetts, New York, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.

How much do Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $45,170
Arizona $49,670
Arkansas $52,660
California $51,330
Colorado $54,160
Florida $47,060
Georgia $52,440
Idaho $55,690
Illinois $56,610
Indiana $57,100
Iowa $52,840
Kansas $50,290
Kentucky $45,780
Louisiana $52,690
Maine $44,460
Maryland $60,500
Massachusetts $76,360
Michigan $53,190
Minnesota $50,040
Missouri $48,380
Montana $54,390
Nebraska $58,960
New Hampshire $36,180
New Jersey $57,880
New Mexico $53,290
New York $69,080
North Carolina $48,800
Ohio $49,700
Oklahoma $37,850
Oregon $62,680
Pennsylvania $57,510
South Carolina $39,250
South Dakota $48,320
Tennessee $52,060
Texas $48,590
Utah $47,820
Vermont $49,250
Virginia $54,980
Washington $56,410
West Virginia $58,940
Wisconsin $50,560
Wyoming $65,850

What Tools & Technology do Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Data entry software
  • Timekeeping software

Becoming a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator

Individuals working as a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator have obtained the following education levels:

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What work experience do I need to become a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator?

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Where Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Are Employed

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Below are examples of industries where Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators work:

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Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Those interested in being a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator may also be interested in:

Those who work as a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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