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Job Description

Overview

Amtrak is seeking a C&S Helper in Chicago to assist Qualified Employees with maintenance and construction of signal equipment. The role emphasizes safety and teamwork, aligning with Amtrak's values of integrity and customer focus.

Responsibilities

  • Assist in corrective and preventative maintenance and construction of signal equipment.
  • Perform tasks such as digging, trenching, painting, wiring, and cabling.
  • Operate company vehicles as required.
  • Act as a watchman when necessary.
  • Understand and apply safety rules and practices.

Requirements

  • Must be at least 18 years old and a high school graduate or GED equivalent.
  • Must have a valid driver's license on the date of hire.
  • CDL License preferred.
  • Must be able to perform heavy physical labor.
  • Must be able to read and understand job information written in English.
  • Ability to perform basic mathematical computations including fractions and decimals.
  • Must pass required training with written exams over a 10-month period.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • 401k

Additional Information

  • Posting Location: Illinois
  • Relocation Offered: No
  • Travel Requirements: Up to 25%

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
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How this job compares in Chicago, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $31/hr, this posting comes in about 15% below the $36/hr median for welding jobs in Chicago, IL, where the middle half runs $27–$45/hr across 89 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 36% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Chicago, IL

We're tracking 108 other active welding openings in Chicago, IL right now, from 60 different employers. 43 of them were added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 373 other active welding openings from 233 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Chicago, or widen the search to Illinois.

Amtrak currently has 2 other openings live in Illinois, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are S&C Electric Company (18), Gerber Collision & Glass (14), and Staff on Site (13). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Downers Grove at $46/hr, Chicago at $36/hr, and Addison at $32/hr. Chicago is among them.

Similar openings near Chicago, IL

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Helper - New Hire - 90414071 - Chicago figures were last recalculated when this page was built.