Career Paths From Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Possible next moves, computed from skill overlap, O*NET occupational relatedness, preparation level, education, and pay — not a record of people who actually made these moves.

Pile Driver OperatorsLateral Move96.1% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Pile Driver Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (96% match). Pile Driver Operators sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 5% higher.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$73,300
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsLateral Move95.4% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (95% match). Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 15% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$59,850
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsLateral Move97.3% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (97% match). Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 24% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$53,340
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and GasLateral Move95.1% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas share a similar Transferable Skills profile (95% match). Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 14% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$60,190
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Roustabouts, Oil and GasLateral Move97.3% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Roustabouts, Oil and Gas share a similar Transferable Skills profile (97% match). Roustabouts, Oil and Gas sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 33% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$46,960
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station OperatorsCareer Change94.7% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (95% match). Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 10% higher.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$77,320
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and HostlersCareer Change96.5% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers share a similar Transferable Skills profile (97% match). Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 14% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$60,600
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead PumpersCareer Change95% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers share a similar Transferable Skills profile (95% match). Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 12% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$61,770
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Crane and Tower OperatorsCareer Change95.3% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Crane and Tower Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (95% match). Crane and Tower Operators is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Job Zone is higher (3 vs 2). Median salary is about 3% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$68,080
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
3
Helpers--Extraction WorkersLateral Move95.1% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Helpers--Extraction Workers share a similar Transferable Skills profile (95% match). Helpers--Extraction Workers sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 32% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$47,730
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Derrick Operators, Oil and GasLateral Move95.1% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas share a similar Transferable Skills profile (95% match). Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 16% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$58,620
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Refractory Materials Repairers, Except BrickmasonsCareer Change96.7% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons share a similar Transferable Skills profile (97% match). Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 13% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$61,290
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Logging Equipment OperatorsCareer Change95.7% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Logging Equipment Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (96% match). Logging Equipment Operators is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 29% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$49,740
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and TendersCareer Change95.8% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders share a similar Transferable Skills profile (96% match). Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 41% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$41,330
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersCareer Change95.6% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders share a similar Transferable Skills profile (96% match). Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 31% lower.
Current median salary
$70,070
Target median salary
$48,250
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2

Computed from O*NET Transferable Skills, occupational relatedness and Job Zone data, plus BLS wage and projections data. Categories (Advancement / Lateral Move / Career Change) are derived algorithmically, not self-reported career histories.