Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Salary
Construction and Extraction Occupations · 20K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$70,070
Median hourly
$34
Average annual
$68,740
Typical range
$45,640–$87,420
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is $70,070 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $34 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $45,640 and $87,420 a year. There are roughly 20K people employed as rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.
- Hourly
- $33.69
- Daily
- $270
- Weekly
- $1,348
- Bi-weekly
- $2,695
- Monthly
- $5,839
- Annual
- $70,070
$70,070 a year is around the 50th percentile for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operatorss. The median is $70,070.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$87,410
- 2New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$87,150
- 3Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$85,240
- 4Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$75,280
- 5Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$65,060
- 6Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$62,030
- 7Stockton-Lodi, CA$61,050
- 8Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$60,120
- 9Pittsburgh, PA$59,390
- 10Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$59,110
- 11Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$56,470
- 12Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$52,900
Related job titles
Employers advertise Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators roles under these titles.
- Ballast Cleaning Machine Operator
- Maintenance Laborer
- Oil Distributor Tender
- Portable Grinding Machine Operator
- Rail Maintenance Worker
- Rail Track Layer
- Rail Track Maintainer
- Railroad Track Mechanic
- Railway Equipment Operator
- Section Laborer
- Special Equipment Operator
- Stone Crusher Operator
- Track Dresser
- Track Equipment Operator (TEO)
- Track Grinder Operator
- Track Laborer
Related occupations
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators$53,340
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Millwrights$65,700
- Pile Driver Operators$73,300
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining$57,430
- Rail Car Repairers$67,530
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines$65,510
- Construction Laborers$47,120
What a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators does
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
- Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
- Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
- Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.
- Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.
- Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is $70,070 ($34 per hour). Pay ranges from about $45,640 at the 10th percentile to $87,420 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $68,740, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operatorss the most?
- Massachusetts has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $94,330.
- Is Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 20K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators do?
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.; Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.; Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts..