Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 49-9097

Signal and Track Switch Repairers

O*NET task statements lead this Signal and Track Switch Repairers card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment, Millwrights, Watch and Clock Repairers, Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Signal and Track Switch Repairers: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment ($85K) , Millwrights ($66K) , Watch and Clock Repairers ($67K) , Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Signal and Track Switch Repairers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 49-9097 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbo…
  2. 2. Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts
  3. 3. Test and repair track circuits
  4. 4. Drive motor vehicles to job sites
  5. 5. Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems
  6. 6. Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates
  7. 7. Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment
  8. 8. Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs
  9. 9. Inspect, maintain, and replace batteries as needed
  10. 10. Record and report information about mileage or track inspected, repairs performed, and equipment requiring replacement
  11. 11. Lubricate moving parts on gate-crossing mechanisms and swinging signals
  12. 12. Clean lenses of lamps with cloths and solvents

Signal and Track Switch Repairers: O*NET ranks Troubleshooting first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 49-9097 - lead skill Troubleshooting at 4.1 ; lead knowledge Transportation. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Troubleshooting 4.1
  2. 2. Equipment Maintenance 4.0
  3. 3. Repairing 4.0
  4. 4. Quality Control Analysis 3.9
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.8
  6. 6. Operations Monitoring 3.8
  7. 7. Equipment Selection 3.6
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.4

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Transportation 3.7
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.7
  3. 3. English Language 3.6
  4. 4. Public Safety and Security 3.5
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.1
  6. 6. Telecommunications 3.1
National median after O*NET task lead
$92,460
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbo…
$92K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
800
Annual openings
8,720
Estimated US jobs
Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment
Highest-pay peer · $85K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Signal and Track Switch Repairers

1. New York $94,530
2. Virginia $95,620
3. Illinois $95,610
4. Arizona $96,460
5. Michigan $93,060
6. Indiana $92,200
7. Missouri $86,300
8. Massachusetts $126,440
9. Minnesota $96,780
10. Washington $121,710

Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles

  1. 1. Millwrights $65,700
  2. 2. Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment $84,890
  3. 3. Watch and Clock Repairers $67,230
  4. 4. Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door $74,340
  5. 5. Avionics Technicians $82,280
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $79,860

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Signal and Track Switch Repairers (SOC 49-9097). The national OEWS median is $92,460 inside Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment, Millwrights, Watch and Clock Repairers, Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door. Lead published task: Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbo….

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New York at $94,530. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment at $84,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Signal and Track Switch Repairers pay-rank #3 in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

Among 51 detailed Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations with a published OEWS median, Signal and Track Switch Repairers is pay-rank #3, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 49-9097 · national median $92,460 · upper third of Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (#3/51). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Signal and Track Switch Repairers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 49-9097

New York · top state for Signal and Track Switch Repairers

$95K published median

Virginia · #2 state pay

$96K · behind New York

Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

Highest-pay peer vs Signal and Track Switch Repairers · $85K

Millwrights

Lower-pay peer beside Signal and Track Switch Repairers · $66K

Compare Signal and Track Switch Repairers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Signal and Track Switch Repairers with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Signal and Track Switch Repairers full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

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Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles sit near Signal and Track Switch Repairers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Signal and Track Switch Repairers is pay-rank #3 of 51 detailed Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers ($95K), Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment ($85K), Avionics Technicians ($82K), Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay ($103K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do signal and track switch repairers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Signal and Track Switch Repairers. Leading ones include: Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbo…; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for signal and track switch repairers? ▼
For SOC 49-9097, O*NET importance scores lead with Troubleshooting (4.1), Equipment Maintenance (4.0), Repairing (4.0), Quality Control Analysis (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Transportation, Mechanical, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Signal and Track Switch Repairers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $92,460 as the national median for Signal and Track Switch Repairers. The published 10th-90th range is $62,610 to $119,550. Beside Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment ($84,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Signal and Track Switch Repairers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Signal and Track Switch Repairers is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Signal and Track Switch Repairers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Signal and Track Switch Repairers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Signal and Track Switch Repairers? ▼
New York ($94,530), Virginia ($95,620), Illinois ($95,610) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Signal and Track Switch Repairers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 49-9097. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Signal and Track Switch Repairers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics