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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

53-4013 Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.


National estimates for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Industry profile for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Geographic profile for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

National estimates for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
2,680 4.8 % $ 28.09 $ 58,430 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 16.99 $ 23.19 $ 27.09 $ 32.04 $ 40.09
Annual Wage (2) $ 35,340 $ 48,230 $ 56,340 $ 66,640 $ 83,390


Industry profile for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rail Transportation 1,280 0.70 $ 30.60 $ 63,640
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 670 2.02 $ 23.99 $ 49,900
Metal Ore Mining 150 0.36 $ 35.07 $ 72,940
Truck Transportation 130 0.01 $ 23.64 $ 49,170
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 60 0.02 $ 28.74 $ 59,780

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 670 2.02 $ 23.99 $ 49,900
Rail Transportation 1,280 0.70 $ 30.60 $ 63,640
Metal Ore Mining 150 0.36 $ 35.07 $ 72,940
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 60 0.02 $ 28.74 $ 59,780
Truck Transportation 130 0.01 $ 23.64 $ 49,170

Top paying industries for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Warehousing and Storage 50 (7) $ 40.30 $ 83,830
Metal Ore Mining 150 0.36 $ 35.07 $ 72,940
Rail Transportation 1,280 0.70 $ 30.60 $ 63,640
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 60 0.02 $ 28.74 $ 59,780
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 30 (7) $ 27.77 $ 57,760


Geographic profile for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 430 0.02 1.34 $ 27.55 $ 57,300
Texas 390 0.03 1.64 $ 25.30 $ 52,630
Georgia 230 0.05 2.80 $ 19.98 $ 41,560
Minnesota 160 0.06 3.09 $ 33.57 $ 69,830
Indiana 120 0.04 2.16 $ 21.65 $ 45,040


Map of location quotient of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Virginia 110 0.16 8.61 $ 32.28 $ 67,140
Minnesota 160 0.06 3.09 $ 33.57 $ 69,830
Kansas 80 0.06 3.06 $ 20.99 $ 43,650
Georgia 230 0.05 2.80 $ 19.98 $ 41,560
Indiana 120 0.04 2.16 $ 21.65 $ 45,040


Map of annual mean wages of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 110 0.03 1.44 $ 39.40 $ 81,950
New York 90 0.01 0.55 $ 36.88 $ 76,700
Minnesota 160 0.06 3.09 $ 33.57 $ 69,830
West Virginia 110 0.16 8.61 $ 32.28 $ 67,140
California 430 0.02 1.34 $ 27.55 $ 57,300



Map of employment of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 200 0.07 3.98 $ 20.15 $ 41,920
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 60 0.01 0.35 $ 40.44 $ 84,100
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 40 0.01 0.46 $ 30.70 $ 63,860
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 30 0.02 1.17 $ 23.86 $ 49,630
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 30 0.02 0.96 $ 25.48 $ 52,990


Map of location quotient of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 200 0.07 3.98 $ 20.15 $ 41,920
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 30 0.02 1.17 $ 23.86 $ 49,630
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 30 0.02 0.96 $ 25.48 $ 52,990
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 40 0.01 0.46 $ 30.70 $ 63,860
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 60 0.01 0.35 $ 40.44 $ 84,100


Map of annual mean wages of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 60 0.01 0.35 $ 40.44 $ 84,100
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 40 0.01 0.46 $ 30.70 $ 63,860
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 30 0.02 0.96 $ 25.48 $ 52,990
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 30 0.02 1.17 $ 23.86 $ 49,630
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 200 0.07 3.98 $ 20.15 $ 41,920

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 40 0.30 16.71 $ 35.73 $ 74,320

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 40 0.30 16.71 $ 35.73 $ 74,320

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 40 0.30 16.71 $ 35.73 $ 74,320


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023