Occupations · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Rail Car Repairers
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 49-3043.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 66% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $90,050 | 660 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $77,910 | 560 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $51,640 | 550 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $72,660 | 480 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $56,970 | 210 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $49,120 | 210 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $84,840 | 190 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $52,460 | 140 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $60,740 | 130 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $85,380 | 120 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $51,430 | 110 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $45,650 | 100 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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 and maintain electrical and electronic controls for propulsion and braking systems.
- Disassemble units such as water pumps, control valves, and compressors so that repairs can be made.
- Measure diameters of axle wheel seats, using micrometers, and mark dimensions on axles so that wheels can be bored to specified dimensions.
- Repair, fabricate, and install steel or wood fittings, using blueprints, shop sketches, and instruction manuals.
- Perform scheduled maintenance, and clean units and components.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2019-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2019-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 7
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| rolling stock assembler | 8211.6 | close |
| rolling stock electrician | 7412.11 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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