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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
4,460 4.5 % $ 27.92 $ 58,070 1.0 %

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

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 18.53 $ 22.77 $ 29.37 $ 31.01 $ 38.11
Annual Wage (2) $ 38,550 $ 47,350 $ 61,090 $ 64,500 $ 79,270


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 2,670 1.22 $ 29.66 $ 61,680
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 1,000 3.06 $ 24.21 $ 50,360
Other Support Activities for Transportation 150 0.44 $ 18.89 $ 39,290
Metal Ore Mining 140 0.34 $ 32.33 $ 67,250
Warehousing and Storage 60 0.00 $ 37.61 $ 78,230

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 1,000 3.06 $ 24.21 $ 50,360
Rail Transportation 2,670 1.22 $ 29.66 $ 61,680
Other Support Activities for Transportation 150 0.44 $ 18.89 $ 39,290
Metal Ore Mining 140 0.34 $ 32.33 $ 67,250
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 60 0.02 $ 30.12 $ 62,640

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 60 (7) $ 37.61 $ 78,230
Metal Ore Mining 140 0.34 $ 32.33 $ 67,250
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 60 0.02 $ 30.12 $ 62,640
Rail Transportation 2,670 1.22 $ 29.66 $ 61,680
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 40 (7) $ 26.87 $ 55,890


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 2021


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)
Texas 560 0.05 1.46 $ 23.78 $ 49,450
California 550 0.03 1.05 $ 25.82 $ 53,710
Georgia 420 0.10 3.06 $ 25.98 $ 54,030
Pennsylvania 220 0.04 1.27 $ 18.57 $ 38,630
Kentucky 200 0.11 3.44 $ 25.01 $ 52,010


Map of location quotient of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by state, May 2021


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 90 0.13 4.11 $ 32.22 $ 67,010
Kentucky 200 0.11 3.44 $ 25.01 $ 52,010
Georgia 420 0.10 3.06 $ 25.98 $ 54,030
Kansas 110 0.08 2.56 $ 20.85 $ 43,360
Texas 560 0.05 1.46 $ 23.78 $ 49,450


Map of annual mean wages of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by state, May 2021


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 130 0.03 1.05 $ 37.64 $ 78,280
New York 140 0.02 0.51 $ 34.30 $ 71,350
Illinois 130 0.02 0.71 $ 32.70 $ 68,020
West Virginia 90 0.13 4.11 $ 32.22 $ 67,010
Missouri 50 0.02 0.53 $ 30.12 $ 62,650



Map of employment of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2021


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 140 0.05 1.68 $ 18.73 $ 38,950
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 70 0.01 0.25 $ 38.27 $ 79,610
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 40 0.02 0.77 $ 22.45 $ 46,690
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 40 0.02 0.51 $ 23.49 $ 48,870


Map of location quotient of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2021


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 140 0.05 1.68 $ 18.73 $ 38,950
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 40 0.02 0.77 $ 22.45 $ 46,690
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 40 0.02 0.51 $ 23.49 $ 48,870
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 70 0.01 0.25 $ 38.27 $ 79,610


Map of annual mean wages of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2021


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 70 0.01 0.25 $ 38.27 $ 79,610
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 40 0.02 0.51 $ 23.49 $ 48,870
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 40 0.02 0.77 $ 22.45 $ 46,690
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 140 0.05 1.68 $ 18.73 $ 38,950

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 0.34 10.60 $ 34.40 $ 71,540

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 0.34 10.60 $ 34.40 $ 71,540

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 0.34 10.60 $ 34.40 $ 71,540


About May 2021 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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022