Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI

Rail Car Repairers

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.

Also called: Rail Car Mechanic, Rail Car Repairer, Rail Car Repairman, Rail Car Welder, Freight Maintenance Specialist, Locomotive Repairman, Rail Car Maintenance Mechanic, Rail Car Sandblaster.

O*NET 49-3043.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $67,530; Middle half earn $54,520 to $84,570. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 61% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Record conditions of cars, and repair and maintenance work performed or to be performed.
Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed.
Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
Inspect the interior and exterior of rail cars coming into rail yards to identify defects and to determine the extent of wear and damage.
Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches.
Test units for operability before and after repairs.
Adjust repaired or replaced units as needed to ensure proper operation.
Repair and maintain electrical and electronic controls for propulsion and braking systems.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
Writing2.9 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical4.5 / 5
Production and Processing3.4 / 5
Design3.3 / 5
Administration and Management3.2 / 5
Building and Construction3.2 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative30
Artistic3
Social8
Enterprising3
Conventional48

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

rolling stock electrician · DE Schienenfahrzeug-Elektriker/Schienenfahrzeug-Elektrikerin · FR électricien sur le matériel roulant/électricienne sur le matériel roulant
rolling stock assembler · DE Schienenfahrzeugmonteur/Schienenfahrzeugmonteurin · FR monteur-assembleur secteur matériel roulant ferroviaire/monteuse-assembleuse secteur matériel roulant ferroviaire

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Engineering technicians (3113)74,200 employed
Electricians and electrical fitters (5241)193,000 employed
Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods) (8142)23,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.45. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-3043).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test