Mechanical unit repairer vs rail car welder

The differences between mechanical unit repairers and rail car welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a rail car welder has an average salary of $53,741, which is higher than the $27,518 average annual salary of a mechanical unit repairer.

The top three skills for a mechanical unit repairer include hydraulic systems, engine repair and routine maintenance. The most important skills for a rail car welder are locomotives, , and .

Mechanical unit repairer vs rail car welder overview

	Mechanical Unit Repairer	Rail Car Welder
Yearly salary	$27,518	$53,741
Hourly rate	$13.23	$25.84
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	43,966	13,155
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Mechanical unit repairer vs rail car welder salary

Mechanical unit repairers and rail car welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Unit Repairer	Rail Car Welder
Average salary	$27,518	$53,741
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $39,000	Between $27,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between mechanical unit repairer and rail car welder education

There are a few differences between a mechanical unit repairer and a rail car welder in terms of educational background:

	Mechanical Unit Repairer	Rail Car Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Mechanical unit repairer vs rail car welder demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical unit repairers' and rail car welders' demographics:

	Mechanical Unit Repairer	Rail Car Welder
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 97.7% Female, 2.3%	Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	1%	1%

Differences between mechanical unit repairer and rail car welder duties and responsibilities

Mechanical unit repairer example responsibilities.

Lead weekly toolbox safety meetings, and monitor work to ensure full compliance with OSHA / HAZWHOPPER compliance requirements.
Tree clean-up/brush removal, operating chainsaws, chipper, mowers and other brush removal tools.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.

Rail car welder example responsibilities.

Ensure that work center technical publications and safety bulletins are up-to-date at all times and adhere to AAR standards.
Change out turnbuckles and couplers.

Mechanical unit repairer vs rail car welder skills

Common mechanical unit repairer skills

Hydraulic Systems, 65%
Engine Repair, 21%
Routine Maintenance, 14%

Common rail car welder skills

Locomotives, 100%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Mechanical Unit Repairer
Mechanical Unit Repairer vs Rail Car Welder

Updated January 8, 2025

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