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Employment Percentage
-24.83221477
SOC ID
47-4061
SOC Title
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
ONET ID
47-4061.00
ONET Concat ID
47406100
Median Salary
60389.13
Ed Level High School
100
Ed Level Certificate
0
Ed Level Some College
0
Ed Level Associates
0
Ed Level Bachelors
0
Ed Level Masters
0
Ed Level Doctors
0
Typical Ed Level
a high school diploma or less
Career Description
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.
Core Tasks
  • Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
  • Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
  • Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.
  • Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
  • 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.
  • Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
  • Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.
  • 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.
  • Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.
  • Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.
  • Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.
  • Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points or frogs, using portable power grinders.
  • Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.
  • Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.
  • Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.
Start Annual Earnings
30080.21
Top Annual Earnings
79546.82
EMSI Career Title Slug
rail-track-laying-and-maintenance-equipment-operator