Rail Car Repairers Salary
Rail Car Repairers in Massachusetts make a median of $108,680 a year, or about $52.25 an hour. The range runs from $81K at the entry level to $119K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.09), that's roughly $108,582 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,347/month, about 34.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Massachusetts. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $109K get you in Massachusetts?
About rail car repairers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Massachusetts
Massachusetts sits well above the national pay line for rail car repairers, local pay runs about 61% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,347/month, which is 35.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Massachusetts
Entry-level rail car repairers (10th percentile) start around $81K. Mid-career wages sit at $109K. Top earners bring in $119K or more, a $38K 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 Massachusetts numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a rail car repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Massachusetts?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $109K, rent takes 35.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/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 Massachusetts?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail car repairers typically earn — is $81K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,886/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Massachusetts?
Local pay is 61% above the national median — $109K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average for rail car repairers?
Massachusetts pays $109K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +61%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $109K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rail car repairers make in Massachusetts?
The median is $108,680 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,430, and experienced rail car repairers can clear $119,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $109K enough to live in Massachusetts?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,617/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 35.5% 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 Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (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 $108,582 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.