Rail Car Repairers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 49-3043 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$67,517
$32.46/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Rail Car Repairers is $67,517 per year ($32.46/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $54,517 and $84,573 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $95,098 per year. There are approximately 21,350 rail car repairers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.8%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
18K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% 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
Long-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
11K
$80,320
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
NAICS 488200
6K
$55,700
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
2K
$92,250
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
NAICS 336500
720
$51,580
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
640
$92,230
Wage range across top 5 industries: $51,580 to $92,250 (79% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$22.50
$46,800
P25
$26.21
$54,517
P50MEDIAN
$32.46
$67,517
P75
$40.66
$84,573
P90
$45.72
$95,098
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rail car repairers salary?
The national median salary for Rail Car Repairers is $67,517 per year ($32.46/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $54,517 and $84,573 annually.
How much do top-earning rail car repairers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Rail Car Repairers is $95,098 per year ($45.72/hr). The 75th percentile is $84,573 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for rail car repairers?
Entry-level Rail Car Repairers (10th percentile) earn approximately $46,800 per year ($22.50/hr). The 25th percentile is $54,517 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.
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