Signal and Track Switch Repairers Career, Salary and Skills
Signal and Track Switch Repairers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $92,460 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 8,720. Wage data is published for 23 locations.
Occupation description
Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.
O*NET code
49-9097.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$92,460
Hourly median
$44.45
Employment
8,720
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Troubleshooting | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Repairing | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Equipment Selection | 3.62 | 2.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- Clean lenses of lamps with cloths and solvents.
- Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.
- Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts.
- Test and repair track circuits.
- Drive motor vehicles to job sites.
- Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.
- Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.
- Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.
Technology
- Maintenance management software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Web browser software
Signal and Track Switch Repairers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in NYMedian $94,530 · Employment 1,910
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in New York, NYMedian $94,530 · Employment 1,080
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in ILMedian $95,610 · Employment 720
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in TXMedian $85,020 · Employment 650
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in GAMedian $79,860 · Employment 440
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in CAMedian $84,670 · Employment 390
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in FLMedian $78,680 · Employment 290
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in NJMedian $82,990 · Employment 260
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in MOMedian $86,300 · Employment 250
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in INMedian $92,200 · Employment 220
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in WAMedian $121,710 · Employment 210
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in TNMedian $79,730 · Employment 190
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.