Railroad workers held about 76,500 jobs in 2021. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up railroad workers was distributed as follows:
| Railroad conductors and yardmasters | 34,300 |
| Locomotive engineers | 26,600 |
| Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers | 11,800 |
| Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers | 3,800 |
The largest employers of railroad workers were as follows:
| Rail transportation | 84% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 8 |
Conductors on passenger trains generally work in cleaner, more comfortable conditions than conductors on freight trains. However, conductors on passenger trains sometimes must respond to upset or unruly passengers.
Locomotive engineers work in climate-controlled train cabs that are generally large enough to move around in comfortably. However, engineers may need to adjust to the loud noise or frequent vibrations when the train is in motion.
Railroad operators, rail yard engineers, and related workers spend most of their time outside, regardless of the weather.
Injuries and Illnesses
Railroad conductors and yardmasters have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Common injuries include sprains, strains, and bruises.
Work Schedules
Because trains operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, railroad workers’ schedules may vary to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Federal regulations require a minimum number of rest hours for train operators.
Locomotive engineers and conductors whose trains travel long routes may be away from home for long periods. Those who work on passenger trains with short routes generally have more predictable schedules. Workers on some freight trains have irregular schedules.
For engineers and conductors, seniority (the number of years on the job) usually dictates who works the most desired shifts. Some engineers and conductors, called extra-board, are hired for temporary work only when a railroad needs extra or substitute staff on a certain route.
Workers in railroad occupations typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and several months of on-the-job training.
Education
Rail companies typically require workers to have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. However, employers may prefer to hire workers who have postsecondary education, such as coursework, a certificate, or an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
Training
Locomotive engineers typically receive 3 or more months of on-the-job training before they can operate a train on their own. Typically, this training involves riding with an experienced engineer. In addition, railroad companies provide continuing education so that engineers can maintain their skills.
Most railroad companies have up to 12 months of on-the-job training for conductors and yardmasters. Amtrak (the passenger train company) and some of the larger freight railroad companies operate their own training programs. Small and regional railroads may send conductors to a central training facility or a community college. Yardmasters may be sent to training programs or may be trained by an experienced yardmaster.
Rail yard engineers and signal and switch operators also receive on-the-job training, typically through a company training program. This program may last a few weeks to a few months, depending on the company and the complexity of the job. The program may include both classroom instruction and hands-on training under the direction of an experienced employee.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Most locomotive engineers first work as conductors or yardmasters for several years.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Locomotive engineers and conductors must be certified by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The certifications, conducted by the railroad that employs them, involve a written knowledge test, a skills test, and a supervisor determination that the engineer or conductor understands all physical aspects of the particular route on which he or she will be operating.
Engineers who change routes must be recertified for the new route. Even engineers and conductors who do not switch routes must be recertified every few years.
At the end of the certification process, the engineer must pass a vision and hearing test.
Conductors who operate on national, regional, or commuter railroads are also required to become certified. To receive certification, new conductors must pass a test that has been designed and administered by the railroad and approved by the FRA.
In addition, railroad workers must be at least 21 years of age and pass a background test. They must also pass random drug and alcohol screenings over the course of their employment.
Advancement
Rail yard engineers, switch operators, and signal operators may advance to become conductors or yardmasters.
Workers in railroad occupations typically have an interest in the Building, Persuading and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Persuading or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a railroad worker, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Workers in railroad occupations should also possess the following specific qualities:
Communication skills. All rail employees have to be able to communicate effectively with each other to avoid accidents and keep the trains on schedule.
Customer-service skills. Conductors on passenger trains ensure customers’ comfort, make announcements, and answer any questions a passenger has. They must be courteous and patient. They may have to deal with unruly or upset passengers.
Decision-making skills. When operating a locomotive, engineers must be able to make fast decisions to avoid accidents.
Hand-eye coordination. Locomotive engineers have to operate various controls while staying aware of their surroundings.
Hearing ability. To show that they can hear warning signals and communicate with other employees, locomotive engineers have to pass a hearing test conducted by their rail company.
Leadership skills. On some trains, a conductor directs a crew. Yardmasters oversee other rail yard workers.
Mechanical skills. All rail employees work with complex machines. Most have to be able to adjust equipment when it does not work properly. Some rail yard engineers spend most of their time fixing broken equipment.
Physical strength. Some rail yard engineers have to lift heavy equipment.
Speaking skills. Conductors on passenger trains announce stations and make other announcements. They must be able to speak clearly so passengers understand what they are saying.
Visual ability. To drive a train, locomotive engineers have to pass a vision test conducted by their rail company. Eyesight, peripheral vision, and color vision may be tested.
The median annual wage for railroad workers was $64,150 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $48,510, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $82,670.
Median annual wages for railroad workers in May 2021 were as follows:
| Locomotive engineers | $79,740 |
| Railroad conductors and yardmasters | 63,960 |
| Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers | 63,840 |
| Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers | 61,090 |
In May 2021, the median annual wages for railroad workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Rail transportation | $64,210 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 64,170 |
Because trains operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, railroad workers’ schedules may vary to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Federal regulations require a minimum number of rest hours for train operators.
Locomotive engineers and conductors whose trains travel long routes can be away from home for long periods of time. Those who work on passenger trains with short routes generally have more predictable schedules. Workers on some freight trains have irregular schedules.
For engineers and conductors, seniority (the number of years on the job) usually dictates who works the most desired shifts. Some engineers and conductors, called extra-board, are hired for temporary work only when a railroad needs extra or substitute staff on a certain route.
Overall employment of railroad workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 7,500 openings for railroad workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Projected employment of railroad workers varies by occupation (see table). An increase in intermodal freight—the shipment of goods through multiple transportation modes—may increase demand for some railroad workers. However, decreasing demand for the transportation of bulk commodities, such as coal, is expected to cause railroads to limit employment in an effort to become more efficient.
As power plants increasingly use natural gas instead of coal for electricity production, the need for rail transportation of coal may decline.
For more information about training programs, certifications, and job opportunities in rail transportation, visit
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
Association of American Railroads (AAR)
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)