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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
4,580 10.9 % $ 26.54 $ 55,200 1.8 %

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

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.30 $ 20.35 $ 24.86 $ 31.24 $ 38.95
Annual Wage (2) $ 35,980 $ 42,340 $ 51,720 $ 64,970 $ 81,010


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 1,870 0.88 $ 28.48 $ 59,230
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 1,360 4.04 $ 23.88 $ 49,680
Other Support Activities for Transportation 470 1.48 $ 24.89 $ 51,770
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 80 0.00 $ 23.15 $ 48,150
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 60 0.07 $ 26.68 $ 55,490

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 1,360 4.04 $ 23.88 $ 49,680
Other Support Activities for Transportation 470 1.48 $ 24.89 $ 51,770
Rail Transportation 1,870 0.88 $ 28.48 $ 59,230
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 60 0.07 $ 26.68 $ 55,490
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 40 0.04 $ 29.28 $ 60,910

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)
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 40 0.04 $ 29.28 $ 60,910
Rail Transportation 1,870 0.88 $ 28.48 $ 59,230
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 60 0.07 $ 26.68 $ 55,490
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 40 (7) $ 26.35 $ 54,800
Other Support Activities for Transportation 470 1.48 $ 24.89 $ 51,770


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.





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)
Pennsylvania 440 0.08 2.45 $ 29.04 $ 60,400
California 440 0.03 0.80 $ 25.85 $ 53,770
Georgia 220 0.05 1.58 $ 21.31 $ 44,320
Kansas 220 0.17 5.10 $ 20.82 $ 43,300
Oklahoma 140 0.09 2.65 $ 33.02 $ 68,680




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)
Kansas 220 0.17 5.10 $ 20.82 $ 43,300
Arkansas 130 0.11 3.37 $ 22.16 $ 46,080
Oklahoma 140 0.09 2.65 $ 33.02 $ 68,680
Pennsylvania 440 0.08 2.45 $ 29.04 $ 60,400
Georgia 220 0.05 1.58 $ 21.31 $ 44,320




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)
Oklahoma 140 0.09 2.65 $ 33.02 $ 68,680
Illinois (8) (8) (8) $ 31.37 $ 65,240
Minnesota 100 0.04 1.12 $ 30.16 $ 62,730
Pennsylvania 440 0.08 2.45 $ 29.04 $ 60,400
Wisconsin 80 0.03 0.92 $ 28.49 $ 59,250





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)
Kansas City, MO-KS 220 0.21 6.39 $ 21.53 $ 44,780
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 160 0.06 1.79 $ 23.49 $ 48,870
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 150 0.06 1.74 $ 18.15 $ 37,760
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 50 0.03 1.03 $ 23.85 $ 49,600




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)
Kansas City, MO-KS 220 0.21 6.39 $ 21.53 $ 44,780
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 160 0.06 1.79 $ 23.49 $ 48,870
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 150 0.06 1.74 $ 18.15 $ 37,760
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 50 0.03 1.03 $ 23.85 $ 49,600




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)
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 50 0.03 1.03 $ 23.85 $ 49,600
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 160 0.06 1.79 $ 23.49 $ 48,870
Kansas City, MO-KS 220 0.21 6.39 $ 21.53 $ 44,780
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 150 0.06 1.74 $ 18.15 $ 37,760

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)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.42 12.90 $ 25.34 $ 52,710
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.30 9.03 $ 22.52 $ 46,840

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)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.42 12.90 $ 25.34 $ 52,710
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.30 9.03 $ 22.52 $ 46,840

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)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.42 12.90 $ 25.34 $ 52,710
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.30 9.03 $ 22.52 $ 46,840


About May 2020 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.

(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 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021