Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary: $83,600 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 8,210 signal and track switch repairers work nationally, and $83,600 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 24% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.5% annual decline.
Signal and Track Switch Repairers: what the data shows
Common questions about signal and track switch repairers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a signal and track switch repairers?
Signal and Track Switch Repairers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-9097.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 8,210 workers.
What does a signal and track switch repairers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Getting Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a signal and track switch repairers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $83,600 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $91,225 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $65,017 |
| 25th percentile | $84,848 |
| Median (50th) | $84,878 |
| 75th percentile | $102,491 |
| 90th percentile | $126,635 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Quality Control Analysis, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Transportation, Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is signal and track switch repairers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.5% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -16.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -30.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 8,210.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do signal and track switch repairerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 8,210 | 19.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 6,490 | 15.7% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 6,030 | 14.6% |
| Rail Transportation | 5,890 | 14.3% |
| Rail Transportation | 5,890 | 14.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 1,720 | 4.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Signal and Track Switch Repairers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 34,520 | $103,650 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 156,260 | $51,500 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Signal and Track Switch Repairers workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,210 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Signal and Track Switch Repairers shrank from 1,160 in 2011 to 700 in 2025 (39.7%).
Historical employment for Signal and Track Switch Repairers from the California OEWS series, 2011–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$83,600 Median pay (BLS national)
Signal and Track Switch Repairers earn $83,600 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 Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Salary distribution for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
584 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -16.5%
487 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -30.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Signal and Track Switch Repairers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Signal and Track Switch Repairers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-5.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -5.6% growth (Current: $91,225)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
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: 1,880 employees, $92,910 avg wage
- TX: 670 employees, $80,640 avg wage
- IL: 630 employees, $92,420 avg wage
- GA: 620 employees, $59,130 avg wage
- CA: 350 employees, $88,830 avg wage
- PA: 310 employees, N/A avg wage
- FL: 300 employees, $71,580 avg wage
- NJ: 250 employees, $83,990 avg wage
- MO: 220 employees, $74,150 avg wage
- WA: 170 employees, $93,840 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,070 employees, $93,610 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 120 employees, $105,390 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Signal and Track Switch Repairers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Signal and Track Switch Repairers is about 8,210 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
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 Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Signal and Track Switch Repairers in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Signal and Track Switch Repairers workers.
Education level distribution for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Skills
Signal and Track Switch Repairers need many skills, but most especially Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Quality Control Analysis, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Signal and Track Switch Repairers include Transportation, Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Telecommunications.
Knowledge areas required for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Signal and Track Switch Repairers include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Finger Dexterity, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
Daily Activities
Signal and Track Switch Repairers spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Signal and Track Switch Repairers.
About
Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Signal and Track Switch Repairers earn $83,600 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
49-9097 - Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Signal and Track Switch Repairers reports an average salary of $91,225.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,210 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.5%, 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.