Occupation salary profile

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

SOC 47-4061 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$70,070
▲ +4.01% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$68,740
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
19,580
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$45,640
25th$51,280
Median (50th)$70,070
75th$81,670
90th — top pay$87,420

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

BLS projects employment of rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators to grow 1.5% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
17,400 → 17,700
+300 jobs
Projected change
+1.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operation and Control3.8
  • Operations Monitoring3.8
  • Equipment Maintenance3.3
  • Repairing3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Quality Control Analysis3.0
  • Time Management3.0
  • Troubleshooting3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Public Safety and Security3.8
  • Transportation3.8
  • Mechanical3.7
  • Production and Processing3.6
  • Mathematics3.5
  • Building and Construction3.5
  • Education and Training3.4
  • English Language3.3
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareTimekeeping software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators do

  • Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
  • Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
  • Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
  • Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
  • Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
  • Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
  • Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.
  • Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
Also called
Track InspectorTrack LaborerTrack MaintainerTrack RepairerMachine OperatorTrack Equipment Operator (TEO)Track Repair PersonTrack Service PersonTrack WalkerTrackman
More job titles for this occupation (25)
Ballast Cleaning Machine OperatorPortable Grinding Machine OperatorRail Maintenance WorkerRail Track LayerRail Track MaintainerRailroad Track MechanicRailway Equipment OperatorSection HandSection LaborerSpecial Equipment OperatorTrack DresserTrack Grinder OperatorTrack LayerTrack Laying Equipment OperatorTrack Laying Machine OperatorTrack Machine OperatorTrack Machine Operator RepairerTrack ManTrack MechanicTrack Moving Machine OperatorTrack Repair WorkerTrack Service WorkerTrack Surfacing Machine OperatorTrack WorkerTrackwalker

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.