Rail-track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Definition

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.

source: OOH; about this section

Significant Points

2004 employment: 11,000
Projected 2004-14 employment change: decline
Most significant source of postsecondary education or training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

source: OOH; about this section

Quick Stats

Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators

2004 employment: 11,000
2014 projected employment: 10,000
Change — numeric: -1,000; percent: -10.8%
2004 median annual earnings: $38,160; earnings group: high
2004 self-employed: 0.0%
2004 part-time employment: very low
2004 unemployment: very high
Typical education and training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Educational attainment — high school: 62.0%; some college: 33.8%; bachelor's degree: 4.2%

source: Employment Matrix; about this section

Earnings Graph

National Average and Percentile Annual Earnings, May 2005

Metropolitan area and State estimates.

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

Area and Industry Statistics

May 2005 Mean Annual Earnings and Employment, wage and salary workers

Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
— National
U.S.:	$39,120
— by State
AL:	$34,480
AR:	$34,780
CA:	$39,810
CO:	$40,910
FL:	$30,580
GA:	$38,150
ID:	$41,770
IL:	$42,130
IN:	$44,540
IA:	$41,510
LA:	$36,700
ME:	$39,200
MI:	$38,890
MS:	$36,330
MO:	$38,100
NE:	$36,200
NJ:	$41,950
NY:	$42,030
NC:	$33,980
OH:	$40,800
OK:	$36,330
OR:	$39,140
PA:	$42,540
SC:	$31,050
TN:	$40,730
TX:	$34,700
VA:	$41,320
WI:	$39,750
— by NAICS Industry Sector
21	$36,980
23	$33,470
31-33	$35,630
48-49	$39,670
56	$33,550
92	$44,690
Also see State and Metropolitan Area and industry estimates of employment and percentile earnings for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators.

Width of bars indicates mean annual wages; color of bars indicates employment.

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

Census Statistics

1999 employment and earnings distribution, year-round full-time workers

Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators

	Percentile earnings distribution
	10th	25th	50th	75th	90th
All workers employment: 8,330 average earnings: $39,000	$21,000	$30,000	$38,000	$45,000	$55,000
Men employment: 8,240 average earnings: $39,000	$21,000	$30,000	$38,000	$45,000	$55,000
Women employment: 90 average earnings: $41,000	$0,000	$0,000	$41,000	$0,000	$0,000

source: Bureau of the Census; about this section

Also see Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in the 2004-05 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook
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See the Occupational Outlook Handbook in print.