Rail Car Repairers Salary
Rail Car Repairers in Colorado make a median of $86,630 a year, or about $41.65 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $113K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $83,531 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 32.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Colorado. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $87K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About rail car repairers
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What this looks like in Colorado
Colorado sits well above the national pay line for rail car repairers, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,832/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level rail car repairers (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $87K. Top earners bring in $113K or more, a $54K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track rail car repairers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a rail car repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $87K, rent takes 33.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail car repairers typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,916/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Colorado?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $87K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for rail car repairers?
Colorado pays $87K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rail car repairers make in Colorado?
The median is $86,630 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,190, and experienced rail car repairers can clear $112,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $87K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,460/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 33.6% 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 Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (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 $83,531 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.