Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers Salary: $58,030 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 3,300 rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers work nationally, and $58,030 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 22% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 8.5% annual decline.
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers: what the data shows
Common questions about rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers?
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-4013.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 3,300 workers.
What does a rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $58,030 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $64,009 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $58,365 |
| 25th percentile | $59,973 |
| Median (50th) | $67,092 |
| 75th percentile | $67,123 |
| 90th percentile | $67,123 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Mechanical. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 8.5% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -35.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -58.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 3,300.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 3,300 | 21.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 3,070 | 20.2% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2,820 | 18.6% |
| Rail Transportation | 1,890 | 12.4% |
| Rail Transportation | 1,890 | 12.4% |
| Support Activities for Transportation | 780 | 5.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers workforce.
Employment Over Time
3,300 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers shrank from 2,320 in 2009 to 560 in 2025 (75.9%).
Historical employment for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$58,030 Median pay (BLS national)
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers earn $58,030 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Salary distribution for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Employment Growth Projections
-8.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
359 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -35.9%
230 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -58.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 1.0% growth (Current: $64,009)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- IN: 300 employees, $51,650 avg wage
- CA: 280 employees, $62,490 avg wage
- NJ: 210 employees, $65,710 avg wage
- GA: 170 employees, $52,640 avg wage
- KY: 120 employees, $52,260 avg wage
- TX: 80 employees, $59,530 avg wage
- WV: 70 employees, $74,450 avg wage
- KS: 60 employees, $49,970 avg wage
- PA: 60 employees, $58,290 avg wage
- AL: 50 employees, $57,190 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 130 employees, $54,470 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 80 employees, $45,350 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 50 employees, $59,640 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers is about 3,300 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers workers.
Education level distribution for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Skills
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers include Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Mechanical, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Far Vision, Reaction Time, Control Precision.
Required abilities for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Daily Activities
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
Most important work activities for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
About
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers earn $58,030 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
53-4013 - Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers reports an average salary of $64,009.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,300 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -8.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.