Construction and Extraction

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

See live rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators jobs Compare this career
15/100
Jobs.best score
#524 of 825
$70,070
median pay, U.S.
19,580
employed (2024)
+1.6%
growth, 2024–34
1,100
openings per year
High school diploma or equivalent
typical entry education

Is rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators a good career?

It scores 15/100 and ranks #524 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.

Advantages

  • Pays above the U.S. median wage ($70,070)
  • No college degree typically required to enter

Possible tradeoffs

  • Slower-than-average projected growth (+1.6%)

What rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators earn

Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025

Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators earn between $51,280 and $81,670 a year.

Best-paying states

same axis · ranked by median
Massachusetts statewide
$94,330
Maryland statewide
$92,030
New York statewide
$87,150
Virginia statewide
$84,750
New Mexico statewide
$83,370
Delaware statewide
$80,610
Montana statewide
$79,170
Idaho statewide
$79,020
Illinois statewide
$78,910
Indiana statewide
$78,020
$40k $80k $120k

Best-paying metros

01 Baltimore, MD $87,410
02 New York, NY $87,150
03 Boston, MA $85,240
04 Los Angeles, CA $75,280
05 Riverside, CA $65,060
06 Philadelphia, PA $62,030
07 Stockton, CA $61,050
08 Chicago, IL $60,120

Strongest employment concentration

01 New York 3,590
02 Illinois 1,190
03 Ohio 1,130
04 Texas 940
05 Pennsylvania 830
06 California 770

Live rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators jobs

No live rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators openings will appear here — each shown against the $70,070 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.

No placeholder listings · nothing invented

How to become a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Requirements from the Employment Projections program. This occupation has no Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.

Related occupations

Highway Maintenance Workers
High school diploma or equivalent · $50,260 median
Construction and Building Inspectors
High school diploma or equivalent · $74,690 median
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
High school diploma or equivalent · $49,450 median
Questions about becoming a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator
How much do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators make?

The national median wage is $70,070 a year, with the middle half earning between $51,280 and $81,670 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators a good career?

On the Jobs.best index it scores 15 of 100 and ranks #524 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +1.6% through 2034.

What education do you need to become a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator?

The typical entry-level education is high school diploma or equivalent.

Where do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators earn the most?

Among states, Massachusetts pays the highest median ($94,330). Local pay for every state and metro is below.

U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWages: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Projections: BLS EP 2024–34
Sources: OEWS-M2025 · EP-2024-34. How we score careers →
See where this ranks — Best paying jobs in construction