Rail Car Repairers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$67,530
United States, 2025
Employment
21,350
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
- O*NET code
- 49-3043.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Record conditions of cars, and repair and maintenance work performed or to be performed.
- Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed.
- Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
- Inspect the interior and exterior of rail cars coming into rail yards to identify defects and to determine the extent of wear and damage.
- Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches.
- Test units for operability before and after repairs.
- Adjust repaired or replaced units as needed to ensure proper operation.
- Repair, fabricate, and install steel or wood fittings, using blueprints, shop sketches, and instruction manuals.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$46,800
25th percentile
$54,520
75th percentile
$84,570
90th percentile
$95,100
Most important skills
- Troubleshooting4.0
- Repairing4.0
- Equipment Maintenance3.8
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Quality Control Analysis3.3
- Operation and Control3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Writing2.9
- Monitoring2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 9 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
9
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repairing | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 4.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.4 | Not selected | 2.4 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Rail Car RepairersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| MA | $108,680 | 770 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $103,540 | 250 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $92,250 | 800 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $89,430 | 230 | 2025 |
| MD | $89,430 | 560 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $87,470 | 150 | 2025 |
| OR | $87,470 | 230 | 2025 |
| CO | $86,630 | 250 | 2025 |
| ID | $85,420 | 110 | 2025 |
| NY | $84,580 | 1,730 | 2025 |
| IL | $84,570 | 1,850 | 2025 |
| UT | $83,980 | 100 | 2025 |
| VA | $83,720 | 210 | 2025 |
| AZ | $81,230 | 170 | 2025 |
| DE | $78,900 | 130 | 2025 |
| NJ | $78,750 | 410 | 2025 |
| MN | $77,800 | 170 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $76,870 | 70 | 2025 |
| SD | $71,750 | 90 | 2025 |
| CA | $68,370 | 700 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Rail Car Repairers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.