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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Signal and Track Switch Repairers

Part of Transportation, Distribution & Logistics, in the Facility and Mobile Equipment Maintenance pathway.

Job zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 49-9097.00

What the work is

Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.

On a typical day

  • Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.
  • Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.
  • Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.
  • Drive motor vehicles to job sites.
  • Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.
  • Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts.

What it pays

$85,020
Median pay per year, Texas (no San Antonio figure published)
New workers start near $52,830
Experienced workers reach $85,360
  1. $53k10th
  2. $76k25th
  3. $85kMedian
  4. $85k75th
  5. $85k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $52,830, 25th $76,180, Median $85,020, 75th $85,360, 90th $85,360

Job outlook

U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.

+2%

U.S. employment change

800

openings a year nationwide, from growth and people leaving

8,700

employed nationwide in 2024

Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Troubleshooting4.0
  2. Equipment Maintenance3.9
  3. Repairing3.9
  4. Quality Control Analysis3.9
  5. Operations Monitoring3.8
  6. Critical Thinking3.4
  7. Equipment Selection2.8
  8. Complex Problem Solving3.0

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. High school or less63%
  2. Certificate24%
  3. Some college10%
  4. Associate degree4%

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

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