Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-4061
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 47-4061 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 60/100
- High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $70,070
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 1,600
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +1.6%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 2,668 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
Common titles: Machine Operator, Rail Maintenance Worker, Track Equipment Operator (TEO), Track Inspector, Track Laborer, Track Maintainer
Representative Tasks
- •Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- •Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- •Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.
- •Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
- •Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Locate equipment or materials in need of repair or replacement.
- •Maintain mechanical equipment.
- •Weld metal components.
- •Verify alignment of structures or equipment.
- •Operate heavy-duty construction or installation equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 70% Bright |
| Median Salary | $70,070 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |