Track mechanic vs track maintainer

The differences between track mechanics and track maintainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a track mechanic has an average salary of $170,731, which is higher than the $60,113 average annual salary of a track maintainer.

The top three skills for a track mechanic include track vehicles, diesel engines and electrical systems. The most important skills for a track maintainer are CDL, switches, and track maintenance.

Track mechanic vs track maintainer overview

	Track Mechanic	Track Maintainer
Yearly salary	$170,731	$60,113
Hourly rate	$82.08	$28.90
Growth rate	4%	5%
Number of jobs	34,390	1,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	4	-

Track mechanic vs track maintainer salary

Track mechanics and track maintainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Track Mechanic	Track Maintainer
Average salary	$170,731	$60,113
Salary range	Between $88,000 And $328,000	Between $40,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between track mechanic and track maintainer education

There are a few differences between a track mechanic and a track maintainer in terms of educational background:

	Track Mechanic	Track Maintainer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	General Studies	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Track mechanic vs track maintainer demographics

Here are the differences between track mechanics' and track maintainers' demographics:

	Track Mechanic	Track Maintainer
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 17.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 26.9% Asian, 1.0% White, 49.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	10%

Differences between track mechanic and track maintainer duties and responsibilities

Track mechanic example responsibilities.

Conduct PMCS and perform sustainment maintenance in accordance with COSIS standards.
Dismantle and reassemble heavy track vehicle components using hoists and hand tools.
Inspect and troubleshoot track vehicle automotive systems, wheel vehicles and classify equipment.
Practice preventive maintenance with electrical and mechanical equipment to assure combat readiness.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Inspect MHE systems, subsystems and components.

Track maintainer example responsibilities.

Job duties are to fix wrecks, maintain the karts, and manage the batting cages.
Track inspection including but not limit too, inspection of frogs, switches, road bed etc.
Inspect tracks for broken rail, defective switches, defective signals, track obstructions and track washouts.
Receive and implement combat orders and direct deployment of personnel in offensive, defensive and retrograde operations.
Inspect and troubleshot track vehicle automotive systems and wheel vehicles.

Track mechanic vs track maintainer skills

Common track mechanic skills

Track Vehicles, 31%
Diesel Engines, 11%
Electrical Systems, 10%
Field Maintenance, 6%
Combat, 5%
Technical Manuals, 5%

Common track maintainer skills

CDL, 32%
Switches, 20%
Track Maintenance, 12%
Track Materials, 9%
Repair Street, 8%
FRA, 7%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Track Mechanic
Track Mechanic vs Track Maintainer

Updated January 8, 2025

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