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Signal and Track Switch Repairers Salary in Illinois

SOC 49-9097 · Illinois · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$95,597
$45.96/hr
3.4% higher than the US national median ($92,456)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Signal and Track Switch Repairers salary in Illinois in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$79K
P25$89K
P50$96K
P75$121K
P90$125K
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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.
📈
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 $95,597 to $120,536 (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 Signal and Track Switch Repairers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

BLS's May 2025 median estimate for this role is 10.6% above its May 2024 estimate. A swing that large usually reflects survey sampling or classification changes between OEWS vintages rather than actual pay changes, so lean on the sector wage-growth benchmark (3.3% per year, BLS ECI) for planning.

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%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

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 median salary for Signal and Track Switch Repairers in Illinois is $95,597 per year ($45.96/hr). This is 3.4% higher than the national median of $92,456.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.

Wage Percentiles: Illinois

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P10Entry level$37.82$78,666+25.6%
P25$42.97$89,378+12.1%
P50MEDIAN$45.96$95,597+3.4%
P75$57.95$120,536+21.4%
P90Top earners$60.26$125,341+4.8%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Signal and Track Switch Repairers
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Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.7%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
800
per year, on avg
Workforce today
9K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% 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 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Rail Transportation
NAICS 482100
6K$90,480
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
2K$94,530
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median signal and track switch repairers salary in Illinois?

The median (P50) annual salary for Signal and Track Switch Repairers in Illinois is approximately $95,597, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 3.4% higher than the national median of $92,456. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

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.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

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.

Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.

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