Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

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)
2,430 4.4 % $ 27.69 $ 57,580 1.1 %

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

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 18.65 $ 23.60 $ 27.44 $ 30.31 $ 36.77
Annual Wage (2) $ 38,800 $ 49,080 $ 57,070 $ 63,050 $ 76,470


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 1,160 0.64 $ 29.97 $ 62,330
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 810 2.20 $ 24.42 $ 50,790
Truck Transportation 60 0.00 $ 24.97 $ 51,940
Coal Mining 50 0.13 $ 32.96 $ 68,560
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 40 0.01 $ 29.05 $ 60,430

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 810 2.20 $ 24.42 $ 50,790
Rail Transportation 1,160 0.64 $ 29.97 $ 62,330
Coal Mining 50 0.13 $ 32.96 $ 68,560
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 40 0.01 $ 29.05 $ 60,430
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 40 0.00 $ 33.01 $ 68,650

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)
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 40 (7) $ 33.01 $ 68,650
Coal Mining 50 0.13 $ 32.96 $ 68,560
Rail Transportation 1,160 0.64 $ 29.97 $ 62,330
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 40 0.01 $ 29.05 $ 60,430
Truck Transportation 60 (7) $ 24.97 $ 51,940


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 2023


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)
Indiana 340 0.11 6.72 $ 25.44 $ 52,920
California 230 0.01 0.81 $ 29.12 $ 60,560
New Jersey 210 0.05 3.13 $ 27.94 $ 58,120
Georgia 200 0.04 2.68 $ 23.00 $ 47,830
Texas 150 0.01 0.71 $ 24.06 $ 50,040


Map of location quotient of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by state, May 2023


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)
Indiana 340 0.11 6.72 $ 25.44 $ 52,920
North Dakota 40 0.10 6.21 $ 33.40 $ 69,480
West Virginia 60 0.09 5.45 $ 36.34 $ 75,580
New Jersey 210 0.05 3.13 $ 27.94 $ 58,120
Georgia 200 0.04 2.68 $ 23.00 $ 47,830


Map of annual mean wages of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by state, May 2023


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 York 40 0.00 0.28 $ 37.28 $ 77,550
West Virginia 60 0.09 5.45 $ 36.34 $ 75,580
North Dakota 40 0.10 6.21 $ 33.40 $ 69,480
California 230 0.01 0.81 $ 29.12 $ 60,560
New Jersey 210 0.05 3.13 $ 27.94 $ 58,120



Map of employment of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2023


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 130 0.05 2.90 $ 21.69 $ 45,120
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 120 0.01 0.77 $ 24.51 $ 50,990
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 90 0.02 1.26 $ 28.20 $ 58,650


Map of location quotient of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2023


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 130 0.05 2.90 $ 21.69 $ 45,120
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 90 0.02 1.26 $ 28.20 $ 58,650
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 120 0.01 0.77 $ 24.51 $ 50,990


Map of annual mean wages of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers by area, May 2023


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)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 90 0.02 1.26 $ 28.20 $ 58,650
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 120 0.01 0.77 $ 24.51 $ 50,990
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 130 0.05 2.90 $ 21.69 $ 45,120

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 0.28 17.42 $ 37.29 $ 77,570
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 30 0.30 18.87 $ 33.39 $ 69,460

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 30 0.30 18.87 $ 33.39 $ 69,460
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 17.42 $ 37.29 $ 77,570

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 0.28 17.42 $ 37.29 $ 77,570
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 30 0.30 18.87 $ 33.39 $ 69,460


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.

(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 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