Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salary: $74,080 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 42,710 railroad conductors and yardmasters work nationally, and $74,080 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 2.2% annual decline; much hiring sits in transportation and warehousing.
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters: what the data shows
Common questions about railroad conductors and yardmasters careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a railroad conductors and yardmasters?
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-4031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 42,710 workers.
What does a railroad conductors and yardmasters do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing General Physical Activities, Documenting/Recording Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a railroad conductors and yardmasters make?
BLS national median annual wage: $74,080 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $68,639 |
| 25th percentile | $69,028 |
| Median (50th) | $69,192 |
| 75th percentile | $76,168 |
| 90th percentile | $107,235 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Coordination, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Transportation, English Language, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is railroad conductors and yardmasters in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -10.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -19.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 42,710.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do railroad conductors and yardmasterss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 42,710 | 19.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 38,790 | 17.9% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 38,470 | 17.8% |
| Rail Transportation | 37,390 | 17.2% |
| Rail Transportation | 37,390 | 17.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 3,920 | 1.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
| Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks | 127,440 | $41,460 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | 3,000 | $82,320 |
| Transportation Inspectors | 23,320 | $85,750 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | 46,340 | $63,360 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters workforce.
Employment Over Time
42,710 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters shrank from 4,040 in 2009 to 2,840 in 2025 (29.7%).
Historical employment for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters 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
$74,080 Median pay (BLS national)
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters earn $74,080 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 Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Salary distribution for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,543 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -10.4%
2,278 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -19.8%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -9.0% growth (Current: $75,840)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
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:
- NY: 6,740 employees, $84,800 avg wage
- TX: 4,340 employees, $70,010 avg wage
- PA: 2,580 employees, $73,090 avg wage
- IL: 2,570 employees, $80,240 avg wage
- IN: 1,670 employees, $79,670 avg wage
- CA: 1,390 employees, $74,040 avg wage
- GA: 1,370 employees, $67,400 avg wage
- KS: 1,300 employees, $62,390 avg wage
- FL: 1,250 employees, $74,670 avg wage
- NE: 1,210 employees, $84,070 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,860 employees, $72,850 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 110 employees, $77,570 avg wage
- Duluth, MN-WI: 80 employees, $80,550 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 50 employees, $64,330 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Diversity
Demographic information on Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters is about 42,710 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
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 Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters workers.
Education level distribution for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Skills
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Coordination, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Time Management.
Required skills for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters include Public Safety and Security, Transportation, English Language, Education and Training, Law and Government.
Knowledge areas required for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Speech Clarity, Speech Recognition.
Required abilities for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
Daily Activities
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters.
About
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters earn $74,080 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
53-4031 - Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters reports an average salary of $75,840.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 42,710 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.2%, 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.