SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars. Excludes “Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists” (49-3031).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 49-3043.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $46,800 | $3,900 | $900 | $22.50 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $54,520 | $4,543 | $1,048 | $26.21 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $67,530 | $5,628 | $1,299 | $32.46 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $84,570 | $7,048 | $1,626 | $40.66 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $95,100 | $7,925 | $1,829 | $45.72 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Rail Car Repairers is $67,530, which is 32% higher. Among the 51 occupations of the field Installation, Maintenance, and Repair, it ranks number 13 by median pay. With 21,350 jobs, it makes up about 1.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Rail Car Repairers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($108,680), Maryland ($89,430) and Oregon ($87,470). The lowest was in Mississippi ($47,480), North Carolina ($47,880) and Louisiana ($47,970). The most jobs were in Texas (2,690), Illinois (1,850) and New York (1,730). The occupation is most concentrated in Nebraska, where its share of all jobs is 8.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 770 | $108,680 | $101,040 | $52.25 |
| Maryland | 560 | $89,430 | $86,590 | $43.00 |
| Oregon | 230 | $87,470 | $78,650 | $42.05 |
| Colorado | 250 | $86,630 | $82,940 | $41.65 |
| Idaho | 110 | $85,420 | $72,910 | $41.07 |
| New York | 1,730 | $84,580 | $84,170 | $40.67 |
| Illinois | 1,850 | $84,570 | $79,540 | $40.66 |
| Utah | 100 | $83,980 | $78,560 | $40.38 |
| Virginia | 210 | $83,720 | $73,670 | $40.25 |
| Arizona | 170 | $81,230 | $71,210 | $39.05 |
| Delaware | 130 | $78,900 | $80,070 | $37.93 |
| New Jersey | 410 | $78,750 | $78,940 | $37.86 |
| Minnesota | 170 | $77,800 | $71,910 | $37.40 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $71,750 | $69,030 | $34.50 |
| California | 700 | $68,370 | $75,020 | $32.87 |
| Missouri | 220 | $68,290 | $61,780 | $32.83 |
| New Mexico | 120 | $67,550 | $71,610 | $32.47 |
| Michigan | 370 | $64,370 | $62,180 | $30.95 |
| Georgia | 980 | $64,230 | $70,330 | $30.88 |
| Washington | 180 | $63,410 | $63,880 | $30.49 |
| Pennsylvania | 970 | $62,350 | $65,670 | $29.98 |
| Florida | 410 | $62,260 | $57,750 | $29.93 |
| Iowa | 340 | $60,550 | $62,280 | $29.11 |
| Oklahoma | 90 | $60,540 | $64,130 | $29.10 |
| Indiana | 670 | $60,490 | $63,340 | $29.08 |
| Maine | 70 | $60,090 | $67,300 | $28.89 |
| Tennessee | 320 | $60,090 | $63,790 | $28.89 |
| Kentucky | 770 | $59,430 | $60,630 | $28.57 |
| Texas | 2,690 | $59,330 | $59,740 | $28.53 |
| Wyoming | 250 | $59,040 | $61,980 | $28.39 |
| Wisconsin | 220 | $58,870 | $62,880 | $28.30 |
| Alabama | 280 | $58,080 | $55,560 | $27.93 |
| Arkansas | 340 | $53,810 | $56,390 | $25.87 |
| Ohio | 690 | $53,480 | $56,590 | $25.71 |
| West Virginia | 100 | $50,800 | $52,940 | $24.42 |
| Kansas | 300 | $48,160 | $57,580 | $23.15 |
| Nevada | 50 | $48,100 | $57,730 | $23.13 |
| Louisiana | 190 | $47,970 | $53,550 | $23.06 |
| North Carolina | 350 | $47,880 | $56,150 | $23.02 |
| Mississippi | 320 | $47,480 | $58,460 | $22.83 |
| Nebraska | 1,130 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$74,090 a year
- Commercial Divers$72,990 a year
- Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other$68,990 a year
- Watch and Clock Repairers$67,230 a year
- Millwrights$65,700 a year
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines$65,510 a year
Common questions
How much do Rail Car Repairers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $67,530 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,800 and the highest-paid 10% more than $95,100.
How many people work as Rail Car Repairers?
About 21,350 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.