Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Salary
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $60,120 a year, or about $28.9 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers.
So what does $60K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.6). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Pay for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $70K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,462/month, which is 37% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.6) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operatorss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $94K | +35% | 570 |
| Maryland | $92K | +31% | 320 |
| New York | $87K | +24% | 3,590 |
| Virginia | $85K | +21% | 360 |
| New Mexico | $83K | +19% | 80 |
| Delaware | $81K | +15% | 130 |
| Montana | $79K | +13% | 200 |
| Idaho | $79K | +13% | 90 |
| Illinois | $79K | +13% | 1,190 |
| Indiana | $78K | +11% | 320 |
| Arizona | $77K | +9% | 170 |
| Michigan | $75K | +8% | 290 |
| Kentucky | $73K | +4% | 270 |
| South Carolina | $72K | +2% | 30 |
| Wyoming | $72K | +2% | 220 |
| California | $71K | +2% | 770 |
| New Jersey | $67K | -5% | 230 |
| Tennessee | $66K | -5% | 260 |
| South Dakota | $65K | -8% | 110 |
| Missouri | $64K | -8% | 410 |
| Colorado | $64K | -8% | 300 |
| Utah | $63K | -10% | 60 |
| Georgia | $63K | -10% | 710 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -12% | 310 |
| Florida | $61K | -13% | 490 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -14% | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -15% | 830 |
| Washington | $59K | -16% | 500 |
| Kansas | $59K | -16% | 310 |
| Nevada | $57K | -19% | 40 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -19% | 270 |
| Texas | $56K | -19% | 940 |
| Oregon | $51K | -27% | 190 |
| Minnesota | $50K | -29% | 760 |
| Ohio | $48K | -32% | 1,130 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | -32% | 180 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -32% | 270 |
| Iowa | $46K | -35% | 200 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -37% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 39 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 37% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,462/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-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,079/month. At HUD’s $1,462/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $60K here vs. $70K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $70K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $60,120 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,320, and experienced rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators can clear $78,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,947/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,462/month, which eats 37% 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-track laying and maintenance equipment operators salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators salary is worth about $58,031 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators 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.