AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-9097.00

Will AI replace Signal and Track Switch Repairers?

Signal and Track Switch Repairers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 12 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 12 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Signal and Track Switch Repairers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Test and repair track circuits. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Inspect, maintain, and replace batteries as needed. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Record and report information about mileage or track inspected, repairs performed, and equipment requiring replacement. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Lubricate moving parts on gate-crossing mechanisms and swinging signals. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Clean lenses of lamps with cloths and solvents. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Drive motor vehicles to job sites. 8 Estimated No tier 4.1

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 12 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 12 of 12. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 60% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 60% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 40% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
8,720
Median annual wage
$92,460
Middle half of earners
$79,720 to $99,320
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+1.7%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Signal and Track Switch Repairers and AI

Will AI replace Signal and Track Switch Repairers?

Not on current evidence. None of the 12 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 17 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.

What is the AI exposure of Signal and Track Switch Repairers?

17 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 12 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 12 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Signal and Track Switch Repairers tasks can AI already do?

None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors, at 20 out of 100.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 60% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 40% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Signal and Track Switch Repairers, and what do they earn?

8,720 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $92,460 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.7% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Signal and Track Switch Repairers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/signal-and-track-switch-repairers

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