Signal and Track Switch Repairers earn a median of $92,460 per year ($44.45/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 1.8% through 2035, with about 800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 49-9097
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Signal and Track Switch Repairer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $92,460a year, or $44.45/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $63KTop 10% $120K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +1.8%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+1.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +1.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 8008,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20258.7K
- Projected 20358.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 8.7K Projected 2035 8.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school34%
- High school28.7%
- Certificate23.8%
- Some college9.6%
- Associate's3.9%
Highest education held by signal and track switch repairers Segment Value Less than high school 34% High school 28.7% Certificate 23.8% Some college 9.6% Associate's 3.9%
Also advertised as: Railroad Signal Maintainer, Signal and Communications Maintainer, Signal Inspector, Signal Maintainer, Signal Maintenance Technician, Signal System Testing Maintainer.
Pay
How much do Signal and Track Switch Repairers make?
Every signal and track switch repairer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$92,460
Middle half earn $79,720 to $99,320
- 10th
- $62,610
- 25th
- $79,720
- 75th
- $99,320
- 90th
- $119,550
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $62,610 |
| 25th | $79,720 |
| Median | $92,460 |
| 75th | $99,320 |
| 90th | $119,550 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $92,460
- Median hourly wage
- $44.45/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $90,410
- People employed
- 8,720
Versus all US occupations
At $92,460, Signal and Track Switch Repairers earn 81% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $41,480 a year.
Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $61,150, this is 51% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $119,550 or more while the bottom 10% earn $62,610, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 67% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Massachusetts pays the most at $126,440, and still leads at $119,557 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Signal and Track Switch Repairers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Massachusetts | $126,440 | $119,557 | 160 |
| 2Washington | $121,710 | $113,734 | 210 |
| 3Minnesota | $96,780 | $98,133 | 80 |
| 4Arizona | $96,460 | $95,811 | 100 |
| 5Virginia | $95,620 | $94,576 | 170 |
| 6Illinois | $95,610 | $95,650 | 720 |
| 7New York | $94,530 | $87,592 | 1,910 |
| 8Michigan | $93,060 | $96,719 | 120 |
| 9Indiana | $92,200 | $98,790 | 220 |
| 10Missouri | $86,300 | $95,026 | 250 |
Job outlook
Is Signal and Track Switch Repairer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +1.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Signal and Track Switch Repairers | +1.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Signal and Track Switch Repairers to change 1.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 800 openings are projected each year, 9.2% of the 8,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Signal and Track Switch Repairer
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as signal and track switch repairers.
- Less than a High School Diploma34%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)28.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate23.8%
- Some College Courses9.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree3.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 34% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 28.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 23.8% |
| Some College Courses | 9.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 3.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Signal and Track Switch Repairer do?
Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.
Day-to-day tasks
- Drive motor vehicles to job sites.
- Record and report information about mileage or track inspected, repairs performed, and equipment requiring replacement.
- Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs.
- Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.
- Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.
- Inspect, maintain, and replace batteries as needed.
- Clean lenses of lamps with cloths and solvents.
- Test and repair track circuits.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayConflict situations are rare.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Writing2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Active Learning2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Troubleshooting4.1
- Equipment Maintenance4.0
- Repairing4.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Equipment Selection3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Operation and Control3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Troubleshooting | 4.1 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 4.0 |
| Repairing | 4.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Equipment Selection | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Facilities management software
- Industrial control software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Signal and Track Switch Repairer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Signal and Track Switch Repairer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.5
- Conventional4.5
- Investigative2.6
- Social1.2
- Enterprising1.0
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Signal and Track Switch Repairer
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More installation, maintenance, and repair careers
Median annual pay, with signal and track switch repairers highlighted
- Signal and Track Switch Repairer$92,460
- Aircraft Mechanic$79,870
- Millwright$65,700
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic$64,520
- Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist$61,770
- Medical Equipment Repairer$61,660
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer$61,010
- Automotive Body and Related Repairer$54,890
- Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic$50,620
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Signal and Track Switch Repairer | $92,460 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | $79,870 |
| Millwright | $65,700 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $64,520 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist | $61,770 |
| Medical Equipment Repairer | $61,660 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer | $61,010 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairer | $54,890 |
| Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic | $50,620 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Signal and Track Switch Repairer appears on
Questions
Signal and Track Switch Repairer: frequently asked questions
How much do Signal and Track Switch Repairers make?
Signal and Track Switch Repairers earn a median of $92,460 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 81% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $44.45/hr. The middle half earn between $79,720 and $99,320. The top 10% earn $119,550 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Signal and Track Switch Repairer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Signal and Track Switch Repairers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 34.0% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Signal and Track Switch Repairer a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.8% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Signal and Track Switch Repairer do?
Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system. A core O*NET task: drive motor vehicles to job sites. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Signal and Track Switch Repairers the most?
The highest state medians for Signal and Track Switch Repairers are Massachusetts ($126,440), Washington ($121,710), Minnesota ($96,780) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Signal and Track Switch Repairer?
O*NET scores Signal and Track Switch Repairers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.