Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Salary
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD make a median of $62,030 a year, or about $29.82 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $60,488 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,810/month, about 43.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K get you in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Pay for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $70K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,810/month, which is 43.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators in metros near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $59K | $63K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $87K | $77K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $87K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $43K 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 with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 43.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,617/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $62K here vs. $70K nationally.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $70K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $62,030 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,620, and experienced rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators can clear $86,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,165/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 43.5% 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-track laying and maintenance equipment operators salary go in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (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-track laying and maintenance equipment operators salary is worth about $60,488 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.