Construction & Extraction
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Also called: Machine Operator, Track Equipment Operator (TEO), Track Inspector, Track Laborer
US median pay
$70,070
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+1.5%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,200
17,400 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
What they do day to day
- Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
- Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
- Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
- Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.
- Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
- Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.
- Drive vehicles that automatically move and lay tracks or rails over sections of track to be constructed, repaired, or maintained.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.8/5
- Operation and Control3.8/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.2/5
- Repairing3.1/5
- Troubleshooting3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
Knowledge
- Public Safety and Security3.8/5
- Transportation3.8/5
- Mechanical3.7/5
- Production and Processing3.6/5
- Mathematics3.5/5
- Building and Construction3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.