Railroad and Railway Transportation Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Railroad and Railway Transportation maps to BLS occupations averaging about $62,037, with roughly 255,270 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $4,530; common paths include Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers and Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks.
Key Statistics
Railroad and Railway Transportation: what the data shows
Common questions about railroad and railway transportation degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a railroad and railway transportation degree?
A Railroad and Railway Transportation program is classified under NCES CIP 49.0208.
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the operation of railroads and other aspects of the railway industry, including railroad and railyard service. Includes instruction in railway culture, operating skills, General Code of Operation rules, conductor service, signal systems, switching, transportation of hazardous materials, safety, and railway telecommunications systems
Types of railroad and railway transportation degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 49.02 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation (CIP 49.0202)
- Flagging and Traffic Control (CIP 49.0207)
- Forklift Operation/Operator (CIP 49.0209)
- Mobil Crane Operator/Operation (CIP 49.0206)
- Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor (CIP 49.0205)
How long does it take to get a railroad and railway transportation degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 49.0208 in our file:
- 4 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a railroad and railway transportation degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Railroad and Railway Transportation to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual 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 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 42,710 | $74,080 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | 46,340 | $63,360 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a railroad and railway transportation degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $4,530 and median net price is $8,759.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Railroad and Railway Transportation and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,530 Median In-State Public
$14,262 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Railroad and Railway Transportation majors are, on average, $4,530 for in-state public colleges, and $14,262 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Railroad and Railway Transportation programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Railroad and Railway Transportation from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Railroad and Railway Transportation.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 2 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 3 | College of Southern Nevada | NV | 27,252 |
| 4 | Palm Beach State College | FL | 21,956 |
| 5 | Utah State University | UT | 20,272 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Railroad and Railway Transportation programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego City College | CA | $1,146 |
| 2 | San Diego City College | CA | $1,146 |
| 3 | Santiago Canyon College | CA | $1,164 |
| 4 | Shasta College | CA | $1,197 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College | CA | $1,238 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Railroad and Railway Transportation programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Peck Community College | MT | $400 |
| 2 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $614 |
| 3 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
| 4 | North Florida College | FL | $804 |
| 5 | Southern Regional Technical College | GA | $813 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Railroad and Railway Transportation programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Railroad and Railway Transportation programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 49.02 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation CIP 49.0202
- Flagging and Traffic Control CIP 49.0207
- Forklift Operation/Operator CIP 49.0209
- Mobil Crane Operator/Operation CIP 49.0206
- Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor CIP 49.0205
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 49.0208 in the survey year used in our extract (4 total across levels below).
- 4 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $62,037. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Railroad and Railway Transportation graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $62,247 | 12,460 |
| Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks | $49,228 | 127,440 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | $103,090 | 3,000 |
| Transportation Inspectors | $87,650 | 23,320 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $75,840 | 42,710 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $68,936 | 46,340 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$62,037 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Railroad and Railway Transportation majors is $62,037.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Railroad and Railway Transportation majors.
Occupations by Share
255,270 2023 Workforce
The number of Railroad and Railway Transportation graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Railroad and Railway Transportation by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Railroad and Railway Transportation in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Railroad and Railway Transportation.
Age distribution for Railroad and Railway Transportation degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
78 Total Degrees Awarded
76 Male (97.44%)
2 Female (2.56%)
Gender distribution of Railroad and Railway Transportation degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
49 White (62.82%)
8 Hispanic or Latino (10.26%)
7 Black or African American (8.97%)
2 American Indian/Alaska Native (2.56%)
2 Two or More Races (2.56%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Railroad and Railway Transportation degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Railroad and Railway Transportation are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Railroad and Railway Transportation.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Railroad and Railway Transportation field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Railroad and Railway Transportation majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Railroad and Railway Transportation majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Railroad and Railway Transportation majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the operation of railroads and other aspects of the railway industry, including railroad and railyard service. Includes instruction in railway culture, operating skills, General Code of Operation rules, conductor service, signal systems, switching, transportation of hazardous materials, safety, and railway telecommunications systems
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Railroad and Railway Transportation.
CIP Code
49.0208 - Railroad and Railway Transportation
What the data shows
Men earned 2.6% of 78 Railroad and Railway Transportation completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $62,037. The largest mapped role by headcount is Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (12,460 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,530 in-state at public colleges and $14,262 at private institutions for programs in this field.
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 U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.