Also called: Track Geometry Operator, Track Measurement Technician
Rides in a special railcar packed with lasers and sensors that measures whether tracks are level, straight and the right width.
Your geometry car speeds over 400 miles of track today, laser beams measuring every inch. When the computer flags a spot where the rails have spread too wide, you double-check the data and alert the track crew before the next train.
Estimated; railroad and contractor pay with travel.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Electronics or engineering technology associate degree, or railroad experience.
Ways in: 2-year college, On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Electronics Technology, Civil Engineering Technology.
Growing about average. Federal rules require regular geometry testing.
Medium risk for 10 years. Sensors on regular trains now gather some data; technicians maintain systems and verify flags.
Classes: Physics, Computer science, Geometry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-4099.
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.