Occupation overview

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators is $70,070, or $33.69 per hour. About 19,580 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $94,330 in Massachusetts to $44,150 in Louisiana.

Median annual
$70,070
Median hourly
$33.69
Entry level (P10)
$45,640
Top 10% (P90)
$87,420
Employment
19,580
States covered
39

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$45,640
$51,280
$70,070
$81,670
$45,640$70,070$87,420
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $70,070.

Salary by state

All 39 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Massachusetts$94,330$45.355701.24
2Maryland$92,030$44.253200.91
3New York$87,150$41.903,5902.94
4Virginia$84,750$40.753600.70
5New Mexico$83,370$40.08800.77
6Delaware$80,610$38.751302.17
7Montana$79,170$38.062003.13
8Idaho$79,020$37.99900.79
9Illinois$78,910$37.941,1901.55
10Indiana$78,020$37.513200.79
11Arizona$76,620$36.841700.41
12Michigan$75,450$36.272900.53
13Kentucky$73,120$35.162701.08
14South Carolina$71,770$34.51300.11
15Wyoming$71,580$34.412206.35
16California$71,170$34.227700.34
17New Jersey$66,540$31.992300.42
18Tennessee$66,390$31.922600.62
19South Dakota$64,500$31.011101.96
20Missouri$64,390$30.964101.10
21Colorado$64,300$30.913000.83
22Utah$63,190$30.38600.28
23Georgia$63,010$30.307101.15
24Oklahoma$61,860$29.743101.46
25Florida$61,220$29.434900.39
26Arkansas$60,230$28.961500.89
27Pennsylvania$59,800$28.758301.09
28Washington$58,740$28.245001.11
29Kansas$58,590$28.173101.71
30Nevada$56,740$27.28400.21
31West Virginia$56,660$27.242703.02
32Texas$56,470$27.159400.53
33Oregon$50,930$24.491900.75
34Minnesota$49,640$23.867602.05
35Ohio$47,980$23.071,1301.61
36Wisconsin$47,920$23.041800.49
37North Carolina$47,700$22.932700.44
38Iowa$45,640$21.942001.04
39Louisiana$44,150$21.23——

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators make?

The median annual wage for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in the United States is $70,070, or $33.69 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $45,640, and the top 10% earn $87,420.

How many rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators are employed in the U.S.?

About 19,580 people work as rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators nationwide.

Which state pays rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators the most?

Massachusetts pays the most at a median of $94,330, followed by Maryland ($92,030) and New York ($87,150).

Which state pays rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators the least?

Louisiana has the lowest median at $44,150.

Where are rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Wyoming at 6.35×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes