Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators pay in the U.S.
$68,740avg. a year
$33.05 an hour · 19,580 employed
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $68,740 a year and a median of $70,070. Pay is highest in Maryland ($90,980) and lowest in Louisiana ($46,010).
$70,070Median pay
$33.05Average hourly
+20%Avg. pay since 2020
19,580Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1320 jobs
Maryland
$90,980
$43.74 an hour
2570 jobs
Massachusetts
$84,610
$40.68 an hour
33,590 jobs
New York
$79,670
$38.30 an hour
41,190 jobs
Illinois
$79,340
$38.14 an hour
5360 jobs
Virginia
$79,300
$38.13 an hour
6320 jobs
Indiana
$75,110
$36.11 an hour
7200 jobs
Montana
$75,000
$36.06 an hour
8230 jobs
New Jersey
$74,750
$35.94 an hour
9130 jobs
Delaware
$72,540
$34.87 an hour
1080 jobs
New Mexico
$72,100
$34.66 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $59k$59k–$67k$67k–$72k$72k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80,270 | $38.59 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $79,620 | $38.28 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $68,710 | $33.04 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $66,750 | $32.09 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $65,440 | $31.46 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $63,030 | $30.30 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $52,970 | $25.47 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $71,340 | $76,620 | 170 |
| Arkansas | $59,740 | $60,230 | 150 |
| California | $67,340 | $71,170 | 770 |
| Colorado | $66,900 | $64,300 | 300 |
| Delaware | $72,540 | $80,610 | 130 |
| Florida | $55,930 | $61,220 | 490 |
| Georgia | $64,890 | $63,010 | 710 |
| Idaho | $71,080 | $79,020 | 90 |
| Illinois | $79,340 | $78,910 | 1,190 |
| Indiana | $75,110 | $78,020 | 320 |
| Iowa | $53,890 | $45,640 | 200 |
| Kansas | $62,610 | $58,590 | 310 |
| Kentucky | $64,970 | $73,120 | 270 |
| Louisiana | $46,010 | $44,150 | – |
| Maryland | $90,980 | $92,030 | 320 |
| Massachusetts | $84,610 | $94,330 | 570 |
| Michigan | $70,140 | $75,450 | 290 |
| Minnesota | $59,700 | $49,640 | 760 |
| Missouri | $60,020 | $64,390 | 410 |
| Montana | $75,000 | $79,170 | 200 |
| Nevada | $57,910 | $56,740 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $74,750 | $66,540 | 230 |
| New Mexico | $72,100 | $83,370 | 80 |
| New York | $79,670 | $87,150 | 3,590 |
| North Carolina | $53,250 | $47,700 | 270 |
| Ohio | $52,280 | $47,980 | 1,130 |
| Oklahoma | $64,310 | $61,860 | 310 |
| Oregon | $58,610 | $50,930 | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,580 | $59,800 | 830 |
| South Carolina | $67,950 | $71,770 | 30 |
| South Dakota | $62,120 | $64,500 | 110 |
| Tennessee | $69,020 | $66,390 | 260 |
| Texas | $58,990 | $56,470 | 940 |
| Utah | $67,870 | $63,190 | 60 |
| Virginia | $79,300 | $84,750 | 360 |
| Washington | $67,430 | $58,740 | 500 |
| West Virginia | $56,810 | $56,660 | 270 |
| Wisconsin | $55,300 | $47,920 | 180 |
| Wyoming | $69,240 | $71,580 | 220 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$80,270
2,710 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$79,620
280 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$66,750
220 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$52,970
180 jobsPittsburgh, PA
$65,440
160 jobsRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$68,710
130 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$63,030
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators make?
The average is $68,740 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $70,070 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $33.05, and the median is $33.69 an hour.
Which state pays rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators the most?
Maryland, with an average of $90,980 a year. The best-paying metro area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $80,270.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $45,640 a year, and the top 10% earn over $87,420.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 47-4061. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.