Occupation salary profile

Rail Car Repairers

SOC 49-3043 BLS OEWS May 2025

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars. Excludes “Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists” (49-3031).

National median · BLS
$67,530
▲ +2.82% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$70,680
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
21,350
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Rail Car Repairers

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

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$46,800
25th$54,520
Median (50th)$67,530
75th$84,570
90th — top pay$95,100

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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

Job outlook for Rail Car Repairers

BLS projects employment of rail car repairers to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
20,100 → 20,600
+500 jobs
Projected change
+2.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1.9% of workers (2025)
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 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Rail Car Repairers

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
  • Repairing4.0
  • Troubleshooting4.0
  • Equipment Maintenance3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.3
  • Operations Monitoring3.3
  • Quality Control Analysis3.3
  • Operation and Control3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Coordination2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Mechanical4.5
  • Production and Processing3.4
  • Design3.3
  • Administration and Management3.2
  • Building and Construction3.2
  • Engineering and Technology3.2
  • Transportation3.1
  • Mathematics3.0
Software and technology used
Disassembler softwareAdobe AcrobatMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordMozilla FirefoxMicrosoft Internet ExplorerRailTech Software Solutions Rail 21 Management SystemRailTech Software Systems Mars for the 21st CenturyWheelShop Automation.com Wheel Shop Management Suite

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 car repairers do

  • Record conditions of cars, and repair and maintenance work performed or to be performed.
  • Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed.
  • Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
  • Inspect the interior and exterior of rail cars coming into rail yards to identify defects and to determine the extent of wear and damage.
  • Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches.
  • Test units for operability before and after repairs.
  • Adjust repaired or replaced units as needed to ensure proper operation.
  • Repair, fabricate, and install steel or wood fittings, using blueprints, shop sketches, and instruction manuals.
Also called
Rail Car MechanicRail Car RepairerRail Car RepairmanRail Car WelderFreight Maintenance SpecialistLocomotive RepairmanRail Car Maintenance MechanicRail Car SandblasterRailroad Car RepairmanTrain Car Repairman
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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.