Rail Car Repairers Salary
Rail Car Repairers in Iowa make a median of $60,550 a year, or about $29.11 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $68,141 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,064/month, or 26.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Iowa. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $61K get you in Iowa?
About rail car repairers
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What this looks like in Iowa
Rail car repairers pay in Iowa tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,064/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level rail car repairers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. 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 Iowa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rail car repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
Yes — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 26.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for rail car repairers in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail car repairers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,765/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Iowa?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for rail car repairers?
Iowa pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rail car repairers make in Iowa?
The median is $60,550 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,090, and experienced rail car repairers can clear $84,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,972/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 26.8% 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 Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (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 $68,141 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.