Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in the U.S. is $70,070 ($33.69 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $70,070
- Mean annual wage
- $68,740
- Median hourly wage
- $33.69
- Employment
- 19,580
19,580 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,640 | $21.94 |
| 25th percentile | $51,280 | $24.65 |
| Median (50th) | $70,070 | $33.69 |
| 75th percentile | $81,670 | $39.27 |
| 90th percentile | $87,420 | $42.03 |
Highest-paying states for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $94,330 | 570 |
| Maryland | $92,030 | 320 |
| New York | $87,150 | 3,590 |
| Virginia | $84,750 | 360 |
| New Mexico | $83,370 | 80 |
| Delaware | $80,610 | 130 |
| Montana | $79,170 | 200 |
| Idaho | $79,020 | 90 |
| Illinois | $78,910 | 1,190 |
| Indiana | $78,020 | 320 |
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $44,150 median annual wage
- Iowa: $45,640 median annual wage
- North Carolina: $47,700 median annual wage
- Wisconsin: $47,920 median annual wage
- Ohio: $47,980 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.
- Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.
- Drive vehicles that automatically move and lay tracks or rails over sections of track to be constructed, repaired, or maintained.
- Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.
- Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points or frogs, using portable power grinders.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 6.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 47.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 34.9% |
| Associate's degree | 7.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 2.1% |
| Master's degree | 1.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Construction Laborers$47,120
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$79,920
- Electricians$63,190
- Carpenters$60,580
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance$49,400
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$57,020
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.