Also called: Rolling Stock Engineer, Locomotive Engineer (Design)
Designs and maintains trains, locomotives, subway cars and light rail vehicles.
You're at a subway yard investigating why some train wheels are wearing out too fast. You measure wheel shapes with a laser gauge, compare them with your models, and recommend a change to the suspension.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in mechanical or electrical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering.
Growing much faster than average (about 9% over 10 years). Tracks mechanical engineers (BLS 2024-34).
Low risk for 10 years. AI predicts maintenance needs; designing, building and fixing trains stays hands-on with rail investment growing.
Classes: Physics, Electronics CTE, Algebra II, Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2141.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.