Skip to main content

NOC 74200: Railway yard and track maintenance workers

Official definition · Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 · statcan.gc.ca ↗

Railway yard workers regulate yard traffic, couple and uncouple trains and perform related yard activities. Railway track maintenance workers operate machines and equipment to lay, maintain and repair railway tracks. They are employed by railway transport companies.

Median Pay$36/hrPrevailing median rate
TEER LevelLevel 4PNP streams
Priority StreamTransport PriorityCategory draws
Official Titles109 TitlesGovernment aliases
Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 74200

Select the duties you perform in your actual job. Under IRCC guidelines, you must perform at least 60% of these duties for a successful work permit or PR reference letter.

109 official aliases
Checklist (10 official duties):Click each to toggle
💡
IRCC Reference Letter Rule:

Your employer reference letter must confirm you performed the main actions described in the duties above. Avoid copying words directly from the NOC description — officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Score⚠ Needs 6 More
0%
0 of 10 selected
0%60% Recommended100%
Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 74200, your employer letter should verify at least 6 main duties. Select 6 more to see if your experience matches.
Minimum Needed6 Duties
Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 74200

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Railway yard and track maintenance workers is categorized under TEER 4. Occupations in this tier typically require secondary school graduation or job-specific on-the-job training.

Express Entry Alignment

Classified under TEER 4, meaning this occupation does not qualify for direct Express Entry general pools. Candidates should focus on employer-driven Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) or federal pilot pathways.

Target Category Status

Currently evaluated under standard General and CEC invitation rounds, or targeted through provincial in-demand lists such as Ontario (OINP), British Columbia (BC PNP), or Alberta (AAIP).

NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 Transition & Equivalency

Open Full NOC Converter Tool

Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, this occupation was mapped under the following 4-digit code(s). When preparing your Express Entry profile or work reference letters, you must use the new 5-digit code NOC 74200.

Former NOC 75314-Digit Legacy
Railway yard and track maintenance workers
VC1 - Code Change
Job Bank Open Data (2025/2026)

Regional Wages Across Canada

Legal Benchmark for LMIA

Under Canadian immigration law, an employer hiring you under an LMIA must pay you at least the median wage listed below for your province.

Province / TerritoryLow WageMedian WageHigh Wage
Canada (National Average)$26$36/hr$42
Newfoundland and Labrador$29.27/hr$40.57/hr$50.98/hr
Nova Scotia$20.61/hr$28.35/hr$41.07/hr
New Brunswick$27.88/hr$34/hr$42/hr
Quebec$33.3/hr$38.5/hr$40/hr
Ontario$28.85/hr$37/hr$40/hr
Manitoba$23.9/hr$35/hr$41/hr
Saskatchewan$26.52/hr$34.19/hr$44.41/hr
Alberta$26.82/hr$35.64/hr$45.52/hr
British Columbia$25/hr$33/hr$43/hr

🏙️Top Metropolitan Cities Wage Rates (ESDC 2025/2026)

Economic Region Benchmarks

Official ESDC prevailing median wages across major Canadian metropolitan regions. Crucial for LMIA prevailing wage compliance and local job offer evaluations.

Montréal
$33.61/hr
$25.8 - $39.87
Ottawa
$35.27/hr
$27.56 - $51.66
Toronto
$37/hr
$29.94 - $40
Calgary
$36.51/hr
$28.61 - $44.94
Edmonton
$35.68/hr
$26.97 - $44.15
Vancouver
$33/hr
$25 - $47

Employment Requirements

These are the education, training, and certification standards usually required by Canadian employers for this occupation:

  • Some secondary school education is usually required.
  • Experience as a railway labourer is required.
  • On-the-job training is provided.
  • Railway yard workers require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate.

Official Job Titles for NOC 74200

109 Titles Listed

If your current job title matches any of these official examples, this NOC code is likely the right choice for your Express Entry reference letter:

ballast regulator operator - railwaycar controller - railwaycontrol tower operator - railwaymachine operator - railwayrail saw operatorrailway equipment operatorrailway track patrollerrailway trackman/womansection worker - railwaysignal tower operator - railwayspike machine operator - railwayswitch tender - railway yardtie tamper operator - railwaytowerman/woman - railway transportyard coupler - railwayyard worker - railwayaligner-tamper operator - railwayanchor-applicator operator - railwayautomatic anchor-applicator operator - railwayballast-equalizer operator - railwayballast-leveller operator - railwaycar retarder operator - railway yardcoupler - railway yardfitter tracks - railwayfreight car distributor - railway yardgandy dancer - railwayinterlocking cabin switcher - railway yardinterlocking signal box switcher - railway yardjournal box greaser - railway yardlag bolter operator - railwaylocomotive attendant - railway yardlocomotive distributor - railway yardlocomotive engine servicerlocomotive maintenance attendantlocomotive servicermaintenance of way employee - railwaymaintenance of way inspector - railwaymechanical tamper operator - railwaymotor vehicle operator - pole yardrail grinder - railwayrail sanderrail saw operator - railwayrail-aligner operator - railwayrail-grinder operator - railwayrail-lifter operator - railwayrailway car controller - railway yardrailway car distributorrailway car greaserrailway car lubricating specialistrailway car lubricatorrailway car oilerrailway line inspectorrailway maintenance equipment operatorrailway signalman/womanrailway tank car servicerrailway tie inspectorrailway track inspectorrailway track maintenance equipment operatorrailway track maintenance workerrailway track repairerrailway track tamper operatorrailway train engine maintenance workerrailway-tie-injector operatorretarder operator - railway yardsignalman/woman - railway transportsnowblower operator - railwayspike puller machine operator - railwayspike-driver operator - railwayspiker operator - railwayspiking machine operator - railwayswitcher - railway yardswitching station switcher - railway yardswitchman/woman - railwaytamper operator - railwaytamper-aligner operator - railwaytamping machine operator - railwaytank car controller - railway yardtie axe unit operator - railwaytie crane operator - railwaytie plate jack operator - railwaytie saw operator - railwaytie shear operator - railwaytie-bed-scarifier operator - railwaytie-cutter operator - railwaytie-cutting machine operator - railwaytie-end-remover operator - railwaytie-injector operator - railwaytie-placer operator - railwaytie-plate-placer operator - railwaytower operator - railway transporttrack broom machine operator - railwaytrack dresser - railwaytrack fitter - railwaytrack layer - railwaytrack maintenance worker - railwaytrack repairman/woman - railwaytrack tamper - railwaytrack-liner operator - railwaytrack-maintenance-machine operator - railwaytrackman/woman - railway yardtrackmobile operator - railwaytrack-surfacing machine operator - railwaytrackwalker - railwaytrainman/woman - railway yardtransfer table operator - railway yardturntable operator - railway yardyard switchman/woman - railway transportyard trainman/womanyardman/woman - railway

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

Check this list to make sure your actual job is not classified under one of these related codes:

  • Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (See 72021 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews)View NOC 72021
  • Railway and motor transport labourers (See 75211 Railway and motor transport labourers)View NOC 75211
  • Railway conductors and brakemen/women (See 73311 Railway conductors and brakemen/women)View NOC 73311
  • Supervisors, railway transport operations (See 72023 Supervisors, railway transport operations)View NOC 72023

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 74200 (Railway yard and track maintenance workers)

Essential answers regarding Express Entry eligibility, LMIA prevailing wage compliance, and official reference letter rules.

NOC 74200 is in TEER 4, which is not directly eligible for standard Express Entry pools. However, you can apply through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams or employer-sponsored work permits.
For an LMIA work permit, your employer must offer at least the median wage of $36/hr (or the prevailing median rate in your specific Canadian province of employment).
Under Section 75(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), your employment reference letter must confirm you perform the actions in the lead statement and a substantial number (recommended at least 60%) of the official main duties listed above. You do not need to perform 100% of the duties.
Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, Railway yard and track maintenance workers was categorized under NOC 7531 (Railway yard and track maintenance workers). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 74200 under TEER 4.
According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 74200 is $33.61/hr in Montréal, $35.27/hr in Ottawa, $37/hr in Toronto, $36.51/hr in Calgary, $35.68/hr in Edmonton.
Because TEER 4 is not eligible for direct Express Entry, your best routes are employer-supported Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams (such as SINP in Saskatchewan, AAIP in Alberta, or MPNP in Manitoba) or federal pilot programs like the Agri-Food Pilot.
Next Steps for NOC 74200

Check Your Express Entry Score & Latest Cutoffs

Calculate your exact Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for NOC 74200, explore your TEER 4 immigration pathways, and check recent draw cutoffs.

Last verified: September 2026