Rail Car Repairers Salary
Rail Car Repairers in California make a median of $68,370 a year, or about $32.87 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $64,415 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 55.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $68K get you in California?
About rail car repairers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in California
Rail car repairers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $68K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 55% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level rail car repairers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Rail Car Repairers salary by metro in California
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $54K | -21% | 80 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $50K | -27% | 110 |
Compare to other states
Track rail car repairers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a rail car repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 55% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rail car repairers in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail car repairers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,995/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 83% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rail car repairer a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $68K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for rail car repairers?
California pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do rail car repairers make in California?
The median is $68,370 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,910, and experienced rail car repairers can clear $115,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,493/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 55% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a rail car repairers salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rail car repairers salary is worth about $64,415 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do rail car repairers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.