Locomotive Engineers
Locomotive Engineers earn an average annual salary of $73,402, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Locomotive Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,670 Workforce in 2023
The Locomotive Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Locomotive Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$73,402 Average Wage
In 2023, Locomotive Engineers earned an average of $73,402.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Locomotive Engineers.
Salary distribution for Locomotive Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
-4.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,783 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -19.5%
2,239 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -35.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Locomotive Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Locomotive Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Locomotive Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Locomotive Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -15.8% growth (Current: $73,402)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Locomotive Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Locomotive Engineers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 60 employees, $66,284 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Locomotive Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 30 employees, $60,701 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 30 employees, $71,867 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Locomotive Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Locomotive Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Locomotive Engineers in 2023 was 1,670 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Locomotive Engineers.
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 Locomotive Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Locomotive Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Locomotive Engineers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Locomotive Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Locomotive Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Locomotive Engineers.
Skills
Locomotive Engineers need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Locomotive Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Locomotive Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Locomotive Engineers include Transportation, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Locomotive Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Locomotive Engineers include Far Vision, Selective Attention, Control Precision, Response Orientation, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Locomotive Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Locomotive Engineers.
Daily Activities
Locomotive Engineers spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Locomotive Engineers.
About
Locomotive Engineers
The average yearly wage for Locomotive Engineers was $73,402 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-4011 - Locomotive Engineers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Locomotive Engineers reports an average salary of $73,402.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,670 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -4.3%, 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.