Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
SOC Code: 47-4061
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators carries a 25% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $67,370 and +1.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 15,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 25% AI exposure, Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators sits 12 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 15% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
63/100
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B- $67,370
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +1.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A 25% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
25% Among the lowest lower than 85% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-4061) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- 2. Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- 3. Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.
- 4. Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
- 5. Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
- 6. Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
- 7. String and attach wire-guidelines machine to rails so that tracks or rails can be aligned or leveled.
- 8. Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
- 9. Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
- 10. Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Repairing
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
Knowledge Areas
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators has an AI exposure score of 25%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators is projected to grow by 1.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 15,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
Key skills for Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators earn?
The median annual wage for Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators is $67,370, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
The typical entry-level education for Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (25% here).
- Dermatologists · AI exposure 25%
- Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors · AI exposure 25%
- Firefighters · AI exposure 25%
- Funeral attendants · AI exposure 25%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.6% here).
- Automotive body and related repairers · growth +1.6%
- First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other · growth +1.6%
- Plant and system operators, all other · growth +1.6%
- Special effects artists and animators · growth +1.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 43 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).