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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?

Career 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.

Life As a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator: What Do They Do?

  • Operate track-wrench machines to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
  • Turn wheels of machines, using lever controls, to adjust guidelines for track alignments or grades, following specifications.
  • Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
  • Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
  • Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
  • Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.

Qualities of a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

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.

  • Track Supervisor
  • Rail Maintenance Worker
  • Section Laborer
  • Track Welder
  • Track Repair Person

What Kind of Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator Job Opportunities Are There?

There were about 14,000 jobs for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator in 2016 (in the United States). 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.

Do Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Make A Lot Of Money?

The salary for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators ranges between about $33,970 and $79,900 a year.

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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 different U.S. states?

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 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

Education needed to be a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator:

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance Equipment Operator?

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Where Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Work

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The table below shows the approximate number of Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators employed by various industries.

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Similar Careers

Those thinking about becoming a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator might also be interested in the following careers:

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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