Signal and track switch repairers
SOC Code: 49-9097
Signal and track switch repairers carries a 32% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $83,600 and +1.7% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 8,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 32% AI exposure, Signal and track switch repairers sits 5 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 37% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
61/100
Signal and track switch repairers, 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+ $83,600
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +1.7%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) C+ 32% 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 Signal and track switch repairers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Signal and track switch repairers 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 Signal and track switch repairers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Signal and track switch repairers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
32% Lower than most lower than 63% 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.
Signal and track switch repairers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Signal and track switch repairers 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
Signal and track switch repairers'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 49-9097) 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 Signal and track switch repairers 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 Signal and track switch repairers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.
- 2. Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts.
- 3. Test and repair track circuits.
- 4. Drive motor vehicles to job sites.
- 5. Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.
- 6. Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.
- 7. Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.
- 8. Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs.
- 9. Inspect, maintain, and replace batteries as needed.
- 10. Record and report information about mileage or track inspected, repairs performed, and equipment requiring replacement.
Key Skills Required
- Troubleshooting
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Quality Control Analysis
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Equipment Selection
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operation and Control
- Active Listening
Knowledge Areas
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Engineering and Technology
- Telecommunications
- Computers and Electronics
- Building and Construction
- Law and Government
- Mathematics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Signal and track switch repairers?
Signal and track switch repairers has an AI exposure score of 32%, 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 Signal and track switch repairers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Signal and track switch repairers is projected to grow by 1.7% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 8,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Signal and track switch repairers?
Key skills for Signal and track switch repairers include Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Signal and track switch repairers earn?
The median annual wage for Signal and track switch repairers is $83,600, 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 Signal and track switch repairers?
The typical entry-level education for Signal and track switch repairers 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 Signal and track switch repairers?
Signal and track switch repairers 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 Signal and track switch repairers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (32% here).
- Architecture teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 32%
- Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 32%
- Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers · AI exposure 32%
- Bus drivers, school · AI exposure 32%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.7% here).
- Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary · growth +1.7%
- Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians · growth +1.7%
- Education administrators, postsecondary · growth +1.7%
- Industrial engineering technologists and technicians · growth +1.7%
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 35 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Signal and track switch repairers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Signal and track switch repairers 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).