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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

53-4031 Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight trains. Yardmasters review train schedules and switching orders and coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains and yard switching.


National estimates for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Industry profile for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Geographic profile for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

National estimates for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
46,490 0.3 % $ 34.72 $ 72,220 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 26.25 $ 29.89 $ 34.20 $ 37.74 $ 47.70
Annual Wage (2) $ 54,610 $ 62,180 $ 71,130 $ 78,490 $ 99,210


Industry profile for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rail Transportation 36,400 20.09 $ 35.20 $ 73,220
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 8,390 0.15 $ 33.90 $ 70,510
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 890 2.43 $ 25.50 $ 53,050
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 220 0.01 $ 38.93 $ 80,970
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land 130 1.17 $ 20.45 $ 42,540

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rail Transportation 36,400 20.09 $ 35.20 $ 73,220
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 890 2.43 $ 25.50 $ 53,050
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land 130 1.17 $ 20.45 $ 42,540
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 8,390 0.15 $ 33.90 $ 70,510
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 220 0.01 $ 38.93 $ 80,970

Top paying industries for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 220 0.01 $ 38.93 $ 80,970
Rail Transportation 36,400 20.09 $ 35.20 $ 73,220
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 8,390 0.15 $ 33.90 $ 70,510
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (8) (8) $ 30.29 $ 63,010
Support Activities for Water Transportation (8) (8) $ 28.91 $ 60,140


Geographic profile for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of railroad conductors and yardmasters by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 4,270 0.31 1.03 $ 31.99 $ 66,550
Pennsylvania 3,350 0.56 1.84 $ 33.82 $ 70,340
Illinois 2,390 0.40 1.30 $ 36.28 $ 75,470
California 1,360 0.08 0.25 $ 34.40 $ 71,550
Indiana 1,250 0.39 1.29 $ 37.75 $ 78,520


Map of location quotient of railroad conductors and yardmasters by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nebraska 1,140 1.14 3.71 $ 39.68 $ 82,530
Kansas 1,120 0.80 2.60 $ 29.77 $ 61,930
Pennsylvania 3,350 0.56 1.84 $ 33.82 $ 70,340
Iowa 870 0.56 1.83 $ 34.08 $ 70,890
West Virginia 340 0.50 1.62 $ 32.66 $ 67,930


Map of annual mean wages of railroad conductors and yardmasters by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nebraska 1,140 1.14 3.71 $ 39.68 $ 82,530
Massachusetts (8) (8) (8) $ 39.53 $ 82,220
Oklahoma 340 0.20 0.67 $ 39.47 $ 82,100
Delaware (8) (8) (8) $ 38.65 $ 80,380
Indiana 1,250 0.39 1.29 $ 37.75 $ 78,520



Map of employment of railroad conductors and yardmasters by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Duluth, MN-WI 90 0.73 2.39 $ 37.27 $ 77,530
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 60 0.01 0.05 $ 49.55 $ 103,070
Kansas City, MO-KS 60 0.06 0.19 $ 25.79 $ 53,650
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 60 0.02 0.05 $ 30.15 $ 62,710
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 60 0.10 0.32 $ 20.35 $ 42,330


Map of location quotient of railroad conductors and yardmasters by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Duluth, MN-WI 90 0.73 2.39 $ 37.27 $ 77,530
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 60 0.10 0.32 $ 20.35 $ 42,330
Kansas City, MO-KS 60 0.06 0.19 $ 25.79 $ 53,650
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 60 0.02 0.05 $ 30.15 $ 62,710
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 60 0.01 0.05 $ 49.55 $ 103,070


Map of annual mean wages of railroad conductors and yardmasters by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 60 0.01 0.05 $ 49.55 $ 103,070
Duluth, MN-WI 90 0.73 2.39 $ 37.27 $ 77,530
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (8) (8) (8) $ 35.53 $ 73,910
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (8) (8) (8) $ 33.89 $ 70,480
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 60 0.02 0.05 $ 30.15 $ 62,710
Kansas City, MO-KS 60 0.06 0.19 $ 25.79 $ 53,650
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 60 0.10 0.32 $ 20.35 $ 42,330


About May 2023 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.

(8) Estimate not released.

(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 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024