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.
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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.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- 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.
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.
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:
What work experience do I need to become a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator?
Where Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Are Employed
Below are examples of industries where Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators work:
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:
- Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers
- First-Line Supervisors of Agricultural Crop and Horticultural Workers
- Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators
- Locomotive Engineers
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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