Also called: Federal Railroad Inspector, Track Safety Inspector
Federal inspector who checks railroads' tracks, signals, equipment, and operating practices for safety.
You walk a stretch of track with a gauge, ride locomotives to observe crews, and inspect hazmat tank cars in a yard. After a derailment, you help investigate.
Estimated from federal pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 8 years after high school. Years of railroad experience in your specialty (track, signal, equipment, hazmat).
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Railroad Operations, Civil Engineering Technology.
Growing about average. Small but steady.
Low risk for 10 years. Automated track cars help; inspecting railroads in person and enforcing rules stay human.
Classes: Physics, Algebra I.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-6051.
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.