Explore by Career/Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.
- Median pay
- $83,600
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- +1.7%
- Stable
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Key skills
- Troubleshooting
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Quality Control Analysis
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Equipment Selection
- Complex Problem Solving
What they do
- 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.
- Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.
- Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.
- Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs.
- Inspect, maintain, and replace batteries as needed.
- Record and report information about mileage or track inspected, repairs performed, and equipment requiring replacement.
Majors that lead here
No mapped majors yet.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.