Rail Car Repairers Salary
Rail Car Repairers in Washington make a median of $63,410 a year, or about $30.49 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.01), that's roughly $62,161 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,830/month, about 41.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Washington. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $63K get you in Washington?
About rail car repairers
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What this looks like in Washington
Rail car repairers pay in Washington tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,830/month, which is 41.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.01) 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, Washington
Entry-level rail car repairers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $30K 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 Washington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rail car repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Washington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 41.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,830/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 Washington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail car repairers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,989/month. At HUD’s $1,830/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Washington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Washington compare to the national average for rail car repairers?
Washington pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.01), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do rail car repairers make in Washington?
The median is $63,410 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,810, and experienced rail car repairers can clear $80,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Washington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,416/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,830/month, which eats 41.4% 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 Washington?
Washington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.01 (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 $62,161 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.