Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Also called: Ballast Cleaning Machine Operator, Machine Operator, Portable Grinding Machine Operator, Rail Maintenance Worker, Rail Track Layer, Rail Track Maintainer, Railroad Track Mechanic, Railway Equipment Operator
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.
What rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators do
Typical tasks
- Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
- Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
- Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
- Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.
- Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
- Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.
- Drive vehicles that automatically move and lay tracks or rails over sections of track to be constructed, repaired, or maintained.
- Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.
- Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points or frogs, using portable power grinders.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators salary
The median annual wage for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators is $70,070 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $45,640 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $87,420. The mean annual wage is $68,740.
The mean hourly wage of $33.00 is 4.6× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $70,070 → in 3 years $76,800 → in 5 years $81,600 → in 10 years $95,100 (10-year range $81,800–$110,400). The model assumes pay growth of +3.1% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators United States | 鉄道線路管理 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $70,070 | ¥4.35M ≈ $27,676 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $95,100 | ¥5.89M |
| Outlook score | 47 | 61 |
| AI replacement risk | 20% Very low | 33% Low |
| Workers | 20K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.