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How Much Does a Rail Car Repairer Make?

A rail car repairer in the US earns a median salary of $67,530 a year, or $32.46 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $70,680, and the middle half earn between $54,520 and $84,570.

Median a year $67,530
Median an hour $32.46
Median a month $5,628
Average a year $70,680

Rail car repairer pay range

What rail car repairers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $46,800 $22.50
25th $54,520 $26.21
Median (50th) $67,530 $32.46
75th $84,570 $40.66
90th (top 10%) $95,100 $45.72

The median is 32% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 21,350 people work as rail car repairers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,299
Every two weeks
$2,597
Twice a month
$2,814
A month
$5,628

At the median salary, before tax.

Rail car repairer salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Massachusetts pays rail car repairers the most, at $101,040 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Massachusetts $101,040 $108,680 770 After tax
Maryland $86,590 $89,430 560 After tax
New York $84,170 $84,580 1,730 After tax
Colorado $82,940 $86,630 250 After tax
Delaware $80,070 $78,900 130 After tax
Illinois $79,540 $84,570 1,850 After tax
New Jersey $78,940 $78,750 410 After tax
Oregon $78,650 $87,470 230 After tax
Utah $78,560 $83,980 100 After tax
California $75,020 $68,370 700 After tax
Virginia $73,670 $83,720 210 After tax
Idaho $72,910 $85,420 110 After tax
Minnesota $71,910 $77,800 170 After tax
New Mexico $71,610 $67,550 120 After tax
Arizona $71,210 $81,230 170 After tax
Georgia $70,330 $64,230 980 After tax
South Dakota $69,030 $71,750 90 After tax
Maine $67,300 $60,090 70 After tax
Pennsylvania $65,670 $62,350 970 After tax
Oklahoma $64,130 $60,540 90 After tax
Washington $63,880 $63,410 180 After tax
Tennessee $63,790 $60,090 320 After tax
Indiana $63,340 $60,490 670 After tax
Wisconsin $62,880 $58,870 220 After tax
Iowa $62,280 $60,550 340 After tax
Michigan $62,180 $64,370 370 After tax
Wyoming $61,980 $59,040 250 After tax
Missouri $61,780 $68,290 220 After tax
Kentucky $60,630 $59,430 770 After tax
Texas $59,740 $59,330 2,690 After tax
Mississippi $58,460 $47,480 320 After tax
Florida $57,750 $62,260 410 After tax
Nevada $57,730 $48,100 50 After tax
Kansas $57,580 $48,160 300 After tax
Ohio $56,590 $53,480 690 After tax
Arkansas $56,390 $53,810 340 After tax
North Carolina $56,150 $47,880 350 After tax
Alabama $55,560 $58,080 280 After tax
Louisiana $53,550 $47,970 190 After tax
West Virginia $52,940 $50,800 100 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other installation, maintenance and repair jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Rail Car Repairers” (SOC 49-3043). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a rail car repairer make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a rail car repairer is $32.46, and the average is $33.98. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $22.50 an hour and the top 10% over $45.72.

How much does a rail car repairer make a month?

At the median salary of $67,530, a rail car repairer earns about $5,628 a month before tax, or $2,597 every two weeks.

Which state pays rail car repairers the most?

Massachusetts has the highest average pay for a rail car repairer, at $101,040 a year. Next are Maryland and New York. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a rail car repairer?

The lowest-paid 10% of rail car repairers earn less than $46,800 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $54,520. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid rail car repairers make?

The top 10% earn more than $95,100 a year, and the top 25% more than $84,570.