Rail Car Repairers Salary
Rail Car Repairers in Idaho make a median of $85,420 a year, or about $41.07 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.88), which stretches that salary to about $90,988 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,136/month, or 21% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Idaho. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $85K get you in Idaho?
About rail car repairers
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What this looks like in Idaho
Idaho sits well above the national pay line for rail car repairers, local pay runs about 26% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,136/month, 21.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.88 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Idaho offers a genuinely strong financial position for rail car repairerss at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Idaho
Entry-level rail car repairers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track rail car repairers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Idaho numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rail car repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Idaho?
Yes — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 21.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,136/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for rail car repairers in Idaho?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail car repairers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,767/month. At HUD’s $1,136/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Idaho?
Local pay is 26% above the national median — $85K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Idaho compare to the national average for rail car repairers?
Idaho pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rail car repairers make in Idaho?
The median is $85,420 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,120, and experienced rail car repairers can clear $85,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Idaho?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,382/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,136/month, which eats 21.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a rail car repairers salary go in Idaho?
Idaho has a Regional Price Parity of 93.88 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rail car repairers salary is worth about $90,988 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.