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Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $70,070 Median per year · $33.69/hr Most earn $45,640–$87,420

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
  • Drive graders, tamping machines, brooms, or ballast spreading machines to redistribute gravel or ballast between rails.
  • Operate tie-adzing machines to cut ties and permit insertion of fishplates that hold rails.
  • Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.
  • Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.
  • Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 1,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Rail transportation57.5%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals22.0%
  • Support activities for rail transportation9.4%
  • Other heavy and civil engineering construction7.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 3 to 6 months

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 3 to 6 monthsEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people need a high school diploma and then about 3 to 6 months of on-the-job experience before they work as a rail-track equipment operator.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finishing high school gives you the basic education most employers require and shows you can follow safety rules and training.

  2. Construction Laborer

    1-3 months

    Working on crews that build roads, rail beds, or other sites teaches you how job sites run, how to use hand and power tools, and how to work safely around heavy equipment.

  3. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator

    3-6 months of on-the-job training

    You learn to run track-laying and tamping machines and to lay, repair, and maintain track under the guidance of experienced operators.

Where it can lead

  1. Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operator

    1-2 years of experience first

    You take on more complex machines and learn to shape and compact the ground and surfaces that support the track.

  2. Operating Engineer

    2-4 years of experience first

    You learn to run a wider range of heavy construction equipment, which opens up more job sites and projects.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, mechanics, or drafting classesHands-on skills with tools and machines give you a head start on understanding how track equipment works.
  • Take math and physical scienceBasic measurement, geometry, and physics help you understand grades, angles, and the forces on track and equipment.
  • Get a summer or part-time job on a labor or construction crewAny job that teaches you teamwork, safety on site, and how to use tools will look good to future employers.
  • Join a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program or FFA chapter if your school has oneThese groups build practical skills and show employers you can handle responsibility.
  • Get a driver's permit or license when you are old enoughMany heavy equipment and rail jobs require a valid driver's license and a clean driving record.

In college

  • Take courses in construction technology, heavy equipment, or railroad operationsClasses in these areas give you the technical knowledge employers look for, even if you do not finish a full degree.
  • Look for a summer internship or job with a railroad, contractor, or track maintenance crewReal field experience shows you how track work is done and can lead directly to a job offer.
  • Earn a safety certification such as OSHA 10-Hour ConstructionThis shows employers you understand job site hazards and safety rules from the start.
  • Join a student engineering, construction, or trades clubThese groups help you meet people in the field, learn about job openings, and build teamwork skills.
  • Work a campus job that involves maintenance or equipmentFacilities or grounds work teaches reliability, safety habits, and basic equipment care that transfer well to rail work.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a supervisor or experienced operator to show you how the machines work, and keep a simple log of the tasks you have learned. This helps you move up faster.
  • Get comfortable with safety training early, such as lockout procedures and working near moving trains. Employers value workers who take safety seriously.
  • Be ready to work outdoors in all kinds of weather and to travel or work long shifts. Being reliable and on time matters a lot in this job.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Ground Transportation Certificate: typical pay 1 year after finishing $48,327 a year · typical debt $6,365

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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