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Salary comparison

Rail Car Repairers vs. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General: Who Earns More?

Rail Car Repairerss out-earn Maintenance and Repair Workers, Generals by $18K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Rail Car Repairerss land at $67,530 and Maintenance and Repair Workers, Generals at $49,590. The education gap is real: rail car repairer programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while maintenance and repair workers, general programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Rail Car Repairerss is Massachusetts ($108,680); for Maintenance and Repair Workers, Generals it's District of Columbia ($60,310).

Rail Car Repairers
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Median salary
$67,530
$49,590
Hourly rate
$32.46/hr
$23.84/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$46,800
$35,350
Senior level (90th %)
$95,100
$77,180
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
21,350
1,529,700
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
3.8%
Category
Repair & Maintenance
Repair & Maintenance
Top-paying state
Massachusetts
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Rail Car Repairers median pay.

State
Rail Car Repairers
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Massachusetts
$108,680
$58,320
Maryland
$89,430
$51,490
Oregon
$87,470
$54,350
Colorado
$86,630
$51,280
New York
$84,580
$57,790
Illinois
$84,570
$56,720
Utah
$83,980
$50,450
New Jersey
$78,750
$54,810
Minnesota
$77,800
$59,200
California
$68,370
$57,000
Washington
$63,410
$59,160
Iowa
$60,550
$52,160
Wisconsin
$58,870
$55,810
Ohio
$53,480
$53,420
Nevada
$48,100
$52,360

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Rail Car Repairerss or Maintenance and Repair Workers, Generals?

Rail Car Repairerss earn more nationally. The median is $67,530 for Rail Car Repairerss versus $49,590 for Maintenance and Repair Workers, Generals, a difference of $18K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Rail Car Repairers or Maintenance and Repair Workers, General?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Rail Car Repairers or Maintenance and Repair Workers, General?

Rail Car Repairers typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Rail Car Repairerss get paid the most?

Massachusetts is the top-paying state for Rail Car Repairerss at $108,680/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Rail Car Repairers vs. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Massachusetts, Rail Car Repairerss earn $108,680 vs. $58,320 for Maintenance and Repair Workers, Generals. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Rail Car Repairers salary breakdownView →Full Maintenance and Repair Workers, General salary breakdownView →Best cities for Rail Car Repairerss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Maintenance and Repair Workers, Generals by take-home payExplore →How to become a rail car repairersGuide →How to become a maintenance and repair workers, generalGuide →