Installation, maintenance and repair
Rail car repairer
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
Median pay
$67,530
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
1,600
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Rail car repairer
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Rail car repairer: 46% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches.
- Test units for operability before and after repairs.
- Adjust repaired or replaced units as needed to ensure proper operation.
- Repair, fabricate, and install steel or wood fittings, using blueprints, shop sketches, and instruction manuals.
Also called: Freight Maintenance Specialist · Locomotive Repairman · Rail Car Maintenance Mechanic · Rail Car Mechanic · Rail Car Repairer · Rail Car Repairman · Rail Car Sandblaster · Rail Car Welder
Outlook and AI
Rail car repairers held 20,100 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 20,600 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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