Rail Car Repairers
Also called: Rail Car Mechanic, Rail Car Repairer, Rail Car Repairman, Rail Car WelderDiagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 1 of its 20 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 2.6% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 86% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $58,080 | $39,920 to $64,770 | 280 |
| Arizona | $81,230 | $49,990 to $85,470 | 170 |
| Arkansas | $53,810 | $44,500 to $68,770 | 340 |
| California | $68,370 | $64,190 to $86,440 | 700 |
| Colorado | $86,630 | $74,090 to $90,260 | 250 |
| Delaware | $78,900 | $73,590 to $95,100 | 130 |
| Florida | $62,260 | $46,700 to $66,800 | 410 |
| Georgia | $64,230 | $60,320 to $79,520 | 980 |
| Idaho | $85,420 | $53,170 to $85,420 | 110 |
| Illinois | $84,570 | $66,220 to $94,530 | 1,850 |
| Indiana | $60,490 | $44,080 to $84,220 | 670 |
| Iowa | $60,550 | $47,560 to $73,080 | 340 |
| Kansas | $48,160 | $44,590 to $65,280 | 300 |
| Kentucky | $59,430 | $50,040 to $73,610 | 770 |
| Louisiana | $47,970 | $47,360 to $58,680 | 190 |
| Maine | $60,090 | $56,460 to $78,310 | 70 |
| Maryland | $89,430 | $74,320 to $103,540 | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $108,680 | $81,900 to $108,680 | 770 |
| Michigan | $64,370 | $45,060 to $80,060 | 370 |
| Minnesota | $77,800 | $60,230 to $82,750 | 170 |
| Mississippi | $47,480 | $36,750 to $58,490 | 320 |
| Missouri | $68,290 | $50,590 to $70,980 | 220 |
| Nebraska | not published | not published | 1,130 |
| Nevada | $48,100 | $48,080 to $60,630 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $78,750 | $76,690 to $79,070 | 410 |
| New Mexico | $67,550 | $64,110 to $83,620 | 120 |
| New York | $84,580 | $72,800 to $96,620 | 1,730 |
| North Carolina | $47,880 | $47,500 to $61,090 | 350 |
| Ohio | $53,480 | $53,450 to $64,840 | 690 |
| Oklahoma | $60,540 | $49,950 to $81,180 | 90 |
| Oregon | $87,470 | $68,600 to $87,470 | 230 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,350 | $57,300 to $78,940 | 970 |
| South Dakota | $71,750 | $71,750 to $76,230 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $60,090 | $51,220 to $78,390 | 320 |
| Texas | $59,330 | $51,810 to $63,420 | 2,690 |
| Utah | $83,980 | $65,380 to $83,980 | 100 |
| Virginia | $83,720 | $59,340 to $83,870 | 210 |
| Washington | $63,410 | $58,520 to $63,850 | 180 |
| West Virginia | $50,800 | $49,700 to $59,300 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $58,870 | $49,400 to $72,940 | 220 |
| Wyoming | $59,040 | $51,500 to $68,690 | 250 |
Nationally: $67,530. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 1 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed. | Not published |
| AI alone | Record conditions of cars, and repair and maintenance work performed or to be performed. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust repaired or replaced units as needed to ensure proper operation. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Test units for operability before and after repairs. | Not published |
See all 20 tasks
| Not much | Repair, fabricate, and install steel or wood fittings, using blueprints, shop sketches, and instruction manuals. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect the interior and exterior of rail cars coming into rail yards to identify defects and to determine the extent of wear and damage. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform scheduled maintenance, and clean units and components. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine car roofs for wear and damage, and repair defective sections, using roofing material, cement, nails, and waterproof paint. | Not published |
| Not much | Align car sides for installation of car ends and crossties, using width gauges, turnbuckles, and wrenches. | Not published |
| Not much | Paint car exteriors, interiors, and fixtures. | Not published |
| Not much | Install and repair interior flooring, fixtures, walls, plumbing, steps, and platforms. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure diameters of axle wheel seats, using micrometers, and mark dimensions on axles so that wheels can be bored to specified dimensions. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair and maintain electrical and electronic controls for propulsion and braking systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Disassemble units such as water pumps, control valves, and compressors so that repairs can be made. | Not published |
| Not much | Replace defective wiring and insulation, and tighten electrical connections, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair window sash frames, attach weather stripping and channels to frames, and replace window glass, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Test electrical systems of cars by operating systems and using testing equipment such as ammeters. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair car upholstery. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 20 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair vehicle components | |||
| Inspect vehicles | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Maintain facilities or equipment | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment |
Show all 20 activities
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections | |||
| Repair electrical or electronic equipment | |||
| Fabricate devices or components |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for rail car repairers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,943 moves out
- 1 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 8%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 1,709 moves in
- 1 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 5%
- 3 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 4%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 61% high school
- 38% postsecondary certificate
- 1% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 11% less than high school
- 47% high school
- 22% some college
- 15% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics” · 1,538 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics”
1 program: Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 4 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Rail Car Repairers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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