| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 99 (%) | Description: Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches. |
| Importance: 94 (%) | Description: Adjust repaired or replaced units as needed to ensure proper operation. |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Record conditions of cars, and repair and maintenance work performed or to be performed. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Repair, fabricate, and install steel or wood fittings, using blueprints, shop sketches, and instruction manuals. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Test units for operability before and after repairs. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Perform scheduled maintenance, and clean units and components. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Examine car roofs for wear and damage, and repair defective sections, using roofing material, cement, nails, and waterproof paint. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Paint car exteriors, interiors, and fixtures. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Inspect the interior and exterior of rail cars coming into rail yards to identify defects and to determine the extent of wear and damage. |
Welding Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Welding Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For hands-on people who want a high-demand skilled trade with strong pay potential and low upfront debt. Use the tools below to see which welding roles fit your background and goals.
This skilled trade offers process-specific certifications (MIG, TIG, Stick) that directly determine which jobs a welder qualifies for. Use the tools below to explore Welding-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Welder Helper, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Certified Welding Inspector or Welding Supervisor. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as AWS (American Welding Society) Certification, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Welding careers/jobs, (2) Find Welding job listings, (3) Prepare for Welding careers, and (4) Provide Welding career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Welding careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Welding Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Welding careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Welding, so relevant Welding jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Welding Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Welding Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Welding careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 119 Welding Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
20 Welding careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Welding-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Welding-Related Jobs |
22 Welding careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Welding-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Welding-Related Jobs |
22 Welding careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Welding-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Welding-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 119 specific Welding job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Rail Car Repairers.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Rail Car Repairers
Description: Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Rail Car Repairers":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
21,100U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
22,200
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
1,100 (5.2%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
2,200
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Align car sides for installation of car ends and crossties, using width gauges, turnbuckles, and wrenches. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Install and repair interior flooring, fixtures, walls, plumbing, steps, and platforms. |
| Importance: 55 (%) | Description: Measure diameters of axle wheel seats, using micrometers, and mark dimensions on axles so that wheels can be bored to specified dimensions. |
| Importance: 42 (%) | Description: Repair and maintain electrical and electronic controls for propulsion and braking systems. |
| Importance: 41 (%) | Description: Disassemble units such as water pumps, control valves, and compressors so that repairs can be made. |
| Importance: 30 (%) | Description: Repair car upholstery. |
| Importance: 30 (%) | Description: Repair window sash frames, attach weather stripping and channels to frames, and replace window glass, using hand tools. |
| Importance: 29 (%) | Description: Replace defective wiring and insulation, and tighten electrical connections, using hand tools. |
| Importance: 25 (%) | Description: Test electrical systems of cars by operating systems and using testing equipment such as ammeters. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance. | |
| Align equipment or machinery. | |
| Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order. | |
| Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair. | |
| Fabricate parts or components. | |
| Inspect completed work to ensure proper functioning. | |
| Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems. | |
| Inspect structural components of vehicles to identify problems. | |
| Inspect vehicles to determine overall condition. | |
| Install hardware or other interior fixtures. | |
| Install vehicle parts or accessories. | |
| Maintain repair or maintenance records. | |
| Measure distances or dimensions. | |
| Paint surfaces or equipment. | |
| Remove parts or components from equipment. | |
| Repair electronic equipment. | |
| Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components. | |
| Repair structural components. | |
| Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts. | |
| Replace vehicle glass. | |
| Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts. | |
| Rewire electrical or electronic systems. | |
| Seal gaps or cracks to prevent leakage or moisture intrusion. | |
| Service vehicles to maintain functionality. | |
| Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Building and Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance. |
| Activity: Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections. |
| Activity: Apply protective solutions or coatings. |
| Activity: Assemble equipment or components. |
| Activity: Build structures. |
| Activity: Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas. |
| Activity: Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools. |
| Activity: Disassemble equipment. |
| Activity: Fabricate devices or components. |
| Activity: Inspect completed work or finished products. |
| Activity: Inspect vehicles. |
| Activity: Maintain facilities or equipment. |
| Activity: Maintain operational records. |
| Activity: Maintain vehicles in working condition. |
| Activity: Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment. |
| Activity: Position materials or components for assembly. |
| Activity: Repair electrical or electronic equipment. |
| Activity: Repair tools or equipment. |
| Activity: Repair vehicle components. |
| Activity: Test performance of equipment or systems. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| Widely Used Tech Skills |
| Compiler and decompiler software: |
| Disassembler software |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Document management software: |
| Adobe Acrobat |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Microsoft Outlook |
| Internet browser software: |
| Mozilla Firefox |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Operating system software: |
| Microsoft Windows |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software: |
| Microsoft Word |
| General Software Tools |
| Accounting software: |
| RailTech Software Systems Mars for the 21st Century |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| WheelShop Automation.com Wheel Shop Management Suite |
| Internet browser software: |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer |
| Inventory management software: |
| RailTech Software Solutions Rail 21 Management System |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 61.4 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 37.6 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.0 (%) | Level of Education: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 32.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 22.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 17.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 15.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Rail Car Repairers". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Rail Car Repairers
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
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