Rail Car Repairers Salary
Rail Car Repairers in Wisconsin make a median of $58,870 a year, or about $28.3 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $62,409 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 31.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Wisconsin. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $59K get you in Wisconsin?
About rail car repairers
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Pay for rail car repairers in Wisconsin runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,202/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level rail car repairers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $44K 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 Wisconsin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rail car repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 30.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail car repairers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,669/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Wisconsin?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $59K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for rail car repairers?
Wisconsin pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do rail car repairers make in Wisconsin?
The median is $58,870 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,490, and experienced rail car repairers can clear $88,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,939/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 30.5% 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 $62,409 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.