Rail Car Repairers: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

Rail Car Repairers

Rail Car Repairers diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.

Salary
$58250
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth
Low

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

Rail Car Repairers diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.

  • 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.
Read more about what does a Rail Car Repairer really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$56020 per year

Average hourly wage
$27 per hour


Rail Car Repairers with little to no experience tend to make between $33700 and $42710 while the more experienced ones can earn over $69240 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
NY $34 $71,250
AK $33 $68,390
MA $33 $67,660
WV $32 $66,810
NJ $32 $65,890

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Rail Car Repairer is to move to a higher paying state like NY. Right now, the highest paying states for Rail Car Repairers are NY, AK, MA, WV and NJ.

However, a higher pay at NY doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at NY might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Rail Car Repairer is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
No degree required

We asked other Rail Car Repairers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by a Post-Secondary Certificate.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/Technician
Read more about how to become a Rail Car Repairer and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Rail Car Repairer.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes practical and hands-on work
Suitable for people who wants to work in a supportive work environment
This career is perfect for people who love to work outdoors.
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to help and teach others
Salary is below average

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
67%

Is this job meaningful
52%


67% of Rail Car Repairers said they were satisfied with their job and 52% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Builders and The Thinkers

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.



Learn more about Rail Car Repairers

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Job Description
Salary
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Quiz

Related career information

Rail Car Repairers job description, Rail Car Repairers salary, Rail Car Repairers information, what is the job of a Rail Car Repairer like, pros and cons about Rail Car Repairers, colleges and universities for Rail Car Repairers, is Rail Car Repairers the right career for me, careers in Trades and Services

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