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Signal and Track Switch Repairers

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-9097

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$92,460
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
900
Proj. Annual Openings
8,720
Employment (OEWS 2025)
+4.1%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 49-9097 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
66/100
High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$92,460
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
900
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +1.7%.
Observed/proxy demand
FY— certified LCAs; 1,199 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

TroubleshootingEquipment MaintenanceRepairingQuality Control AnalysisCritical Thinking

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

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.6%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

17%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI7.7%
AI ability · AIOE43.2%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne90%

Top Skills

1.Troubleshooting
2.Equipment Maintenance
3.Repairing
4.Quality Control Analysis
5.Critical Thinking

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

Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.

Common titles: Railroad Signal Maintainer, Signal and Communications Maintainer, Signal Inspector, Signal Maintainer, Signal Maintenance Technician, Signal System Testing Maintainer

Representative Tasks

  • Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.
  • Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts.
  • Test and repair track circuits.
  • Drive motor vehicles to job sites.
  • Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Inspect equipment to locate or identify electrical problems.
  • Test electrical circuits or components for proper functioning.
  • Repair electrical circuits or wiring.
  • Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
  • Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotMaintenance management softwareSupervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.9%
Avg AI Exposure
4
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 49-9097: 2019 — employment: 6,860, median wage: $73,890; 2020 — employment: 7,250, median wage: $76,210; 2021 — employment: 8,090, median wage: $80,570; 2022 — employment: 6,880, median wage: $81,300; 2023 — employment: 9,200, median wage: $82,710; 2025 — employment: 8,720, median wage: $92,460.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.6%
OutlookAverage24% Bright
Median Salary$92,460N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A