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Rail Car Repairers
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
Other titles employers use
Freight Maintenance Specialist · Locomotive Repairman · Rail Car Maintenance Mechanic · Rail Car Mechanic · Rail Car Repairer · Rail Car Repairman · Rail Car Sandblaster · Rail Car Welder
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Equipment Maintenance
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
Subjects to know
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Design
- Administration and Management
- Building and Construction
Useful strengths
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
- Control Precision
- Multilimb Coordination
- Finger Dexterity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.6 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.6 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.5 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.9 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 61%
- A certificate or some college 38%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Internet browser software
- Document management software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 2,780
- Job openings each year
- 260
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 20.9%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 2,780 | 260 | 20.9% |
| Illinois | 1,940 | 170 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,280 | 110 | — |
| California | 1,100 | 100 | 10.0% |
| Virginia | 930 | 80 | 13.4% |
| Maryland | 790 | 70 | 17.9% |
| Indiana | 710 | 60 | 1.4% |
| Kentucky | 660 | 60 | 6.5% |
| Georgia | 650 | 60 | 16.1% |
| Minnesota | 620 | 50 | 1.6% |
| Colorado | 550 | 50 | 14.6% |
| Nebraska | 550 | 50 | 3.8% |
| Alabama | 460 | 40 | 7.0% |
| Florida | 430 | 30 | −8.5% |
| Mississippi | 390 | 30 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 370 | 30 | 2.8% |
| Iowa | 340 | 30 | 3.0% |
| Massachusetts | 320 | 30 | 6.7% |
| Missouri | 300 | 30 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 300 | 30 | 7.1% |
| Washington | 290 | 20 | −3.3% |
| Arkansas | 280 | 20 | −9.7% |
| Kansas | 270 | 20 | — |
| New Jersey | 260 | 20 | 8.3% |
| Wyoming | 260 | 30 | 23.8% |
| Utah | 250 | 20 | 25.0% |
| Idaho | 220 | 20 | 15.8% |
| Arizona | 210 | 20 | −4.5% |
| South Carolina | 210 | 20 | — |
| Michigan | 160 | 10 | — |
| New Mexico | 150 | 10 | — |
| North Dakota | 150 | 10 | 7.1% |
| Wisconsin | 120 | 10 | −7.7% |
| Oklahoma | 110 | 10 | — |
| West Virginia | 60 | 0 | −25.0% |
| Oregon | 50 | 0 | — |
| Alaska | 40 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Compare every college offering heavy/industrial equipment maintenance technologies/technicians