Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Track Inspector
- Track Laborer
- Track Maintainer
- Track Repairer
Alternate Job Titles
- Ballast Cleaning Machine Operator
- Emergency Service Restorer
- Machine Operator
- Maintenance Laborer
- Oil Distributor Tender
- Portable Grinding Machine Operator
- Rail Maintenance Worker
- Rail Track Layer
- Rail Track Maintainer
- Railroad Track Mechanic
- Railway Equipment Operator
- Section Hand
- Section Laborer
- Special Equipment Operator
- Stone Crusher Operator
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.
- Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
- 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.
- Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Control Precision
- Manual Dexterity
- Multilimb Coordination
- Far Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Reaction Time
- Visualization
- Depth Perception
- Near Vision
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
- Independence
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: None or short demonstration
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
Tools & Equipment
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Air drills
- Air purifying respirators
- Air-powered wrenches
- Backhoes
- Claw bars
- Crowbars
- Dollies
- Dump trucks
- Fall protection harnesses
- Forklifts
- Gas-powered wrenches
- Global positioning system GPS receivers
- Grading equipment
- Grease guns
Work Environment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Contact With Others
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $45,720 |
| Median | $67,370 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $84,840 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 16,480
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $51,650
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $58,710
Millwrights
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $65,170
Pile Driver Operators
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $70,510
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $52,550
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.