Signal and Track Switch Repairers: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Signal and Track Switch Repairers install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.

• Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.
• Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.
• Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.
• Drive motor vehicles to job sites.

Salary

Signal and Track Switch Repairers with little to no experience tend to make between $36680 and $57530 while the more experienced ones can earn over $79170 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Signal and Track Switch Repairer is to move to a higher paying state like CA. Right now, the highest paying states for Signal and Track Switch Repairers are CA, ND, IL, VA and WA.

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

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

Requirements

We asked other Signal and Track Switch Repairers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had an Associate’s Degree 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.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Signal and Track Switch Repairer.

What is the job like

67% of Signal and Track Switch 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

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 following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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