Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

What Maintenance Equipment Operators 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.

Maintenance Equipment Operator Salary

• 2020 employment: 15,700
• May 2021 median annual wage: $61,690

Job Outlook for Maintenance Equipment Operators

Projected employment change, 2020-30:

• Number of new jobs: 800
• Growth rate: 5 percent (Slower than average)

How to Become a Maintenance Equipment Operator

Education and training:

• Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent
• Work experience in a related occupation: None
• Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

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*Some content used by permission of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

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