Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Salary: $67,370 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 16,480 rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators work nationally, and $67,370 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 33% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.9% annual growth.
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators: what the data shows
Common questions about rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-4061.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 16,480 workers.
What does a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $67,370 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,684 |
| 25th percentile | $59,437 |
| Median (50th) | $71,296 |
| 75th percentile | $83,381 |
| 90th percentile | $89,876 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Monitoring, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Transportation, Mechanical, Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 15.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 33.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 16,480.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 16,480 | 19.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 12,640 | 14.7% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 11,560 | 13.5% |
| Rail Transportation | 10,390 | 12.1% |
| Rail Transportation | 10,390 | 12.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 3,840 | 4.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 151,750 | $49,070 |
| Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | 97,540 | $38,860 |
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 56,540 | $60,500 |
| Avionics Technicians | 20,900 | $81,390 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,531,700 | $48,620 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 180,270 | $63,980 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
16,480 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators grew from 860 in 2009 to 1,360 in 2025 (58.1%).
Historical employment for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$67,370 Median pay (BLS national)
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators earn $67,370 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Salary distribution for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
2.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,569 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 15.4%
1,811 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 33.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
-8.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -25.8% growth (Current: $73,437)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 3,330 employees, $77,290 avg wage
- TX: 1,160 employees, $56,510 avg wage
- OH: 980 employees, $51,120 avg wage
- IL: 960 employees, $80,130 avg wage
- FL: 580 employees, $61,500 avg wage
- CA: 560 employees, $66,700 avg wage
- PA: 560 employees, $71,150 avg wage
- IN: 510 employees, $73,840 avg wage
- MN: 430 employees, $54,020 avg wage
- WA: 410 employees, $67,520 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,540 employees, $77,340 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 480 employees, $77,050 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 250 employees, $50,280 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 200 employees, $78,130 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 140 employees, $57,080 avg wage
- Longview, TX: 100 employees, $52,060 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 90 employees, $71,340 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 60 employees, $80,700 avg wage
- Salt Lake City-Murray, UT: 60 employees, $57,720 avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 40 employees, $79,810 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is about 16,480 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Skills
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Monitoring.
Required skills for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators include Transportation, Mechanical, Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators include Control Precision, Manual Dexterity, Multilimb Coordination, Far Vision, Reaction Time.
Required abilities for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
Daily Activities
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
About
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators earn $67,370 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
47-4061 - Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators reports an average salary of $68,661.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 16,480 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.