Is this a competitive Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$46K
P25$51K
P50$70K
P75$82K
P90$87K
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
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Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $70,075 to $81,682 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 4.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.9 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is $70,075 per year ($33.69/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $51,272 and $81,682 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $87,422 per year. There are approximately 19,580 rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.6%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
15K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Rail Transportation
NAICS 482100
12K
$70,950
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
4K
$85,210
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
NAICS 488200
2K
$50,140
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
NAICS 237900
1K
$48,040
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
300
$85,240
Wage range across top 5 industries: $48,040 to $85,240 (77% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$21.94
$45,635
P25
$24.65
$51,272
P50MEDIAN
$33.69
$70,075
P75
$39.27
$81,682
P90
$42.03
$87,422
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.7%
Quits Rate
1.5%
Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators salary?
The national median salary for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is $70,075 per year ($33.69/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $51,272 and $81,682 annually.
How much do top-earning rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is $87,422 per year ($42.03/hr). The 75th percentile is $81,682 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
Entry-level Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $45,635 per year ($21.94/hr). The 25th percentile is $51,272 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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