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Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators vs Roof Bolters, Mining: what changes?

Consider Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators if you want to lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Consider Roof Bolters, Mining if you would rather operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators and Roof Bolters, Mining. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

National median pay (2025)
$70,070
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,200
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (17,400 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators brief

Roof Bolters, Mining

National median pay (2025)
$78,540
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Drill bolt holes into roofs at specified distances from ribs or adjacent bolts.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
100
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 18.9% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Roof Bolters, Mining brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators has the edge on projected growth

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is at 1.5% projected growth, compared with -18.9% projected growth for Roof Bolters, Mining.

2

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators has the edge on annual openings

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is at 1,200 annual openings, compared with 100 annual openings for Roof Bolters, Mining.

3

Roof Bolters, Mining has the edge on median pay

Roof Bolters, Mining is at $78,540, compared with $70,070 for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.

46.4/ 100

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

vs
33.4/ 100

Roof Bolters, Mining

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators vs Roof Bolters, Mining

DimensionRail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment OperatorsRoof Bolters, Mining
Median pay (2025)$70,070$78,540
Pay percentile61.2 percentile69.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)1.5%-18.9%
Annual openings (2025–2035)1,200100
2025 employment17,4002,200
How you qualifyHigh school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingHigh school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 2
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingMore than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators briefRead Roof Bolters, Mining brief

Try another comparison

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators vs Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
$70,070 · 1.5% growth
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
$49,450 · 1.5% growth
Compare careers →

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators vs Pile Driver Operators

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
$70,070 · 1.5% growth
Pile Driver Operators
$73,300 · -5.7% growth
Compare careers →

Roof Bolters, Mining vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Roof Bolters, Mining
$78,540 · -18.9% growth
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
$59,850 · 4.6% growth
Compare careers →
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