Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for railroad conductors and yardmasters in the U.S. is $78,000 ($37.50 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $78,000
- Mean annual wage
- $79,100
- Median hourly wage
- $37.50
- Employment
- 46,440
46,440 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $58,740 | $28.24 |
| 25th percentile | $65,610 | $31.54 |
| Median (50th) | $78,000 | $37.50 |
| 75th percentile | $83,820 | $40.30 |
| 90th percentile | $109,770 | $52.78 |
Highest-paying states for railroad conductors and yardmasters
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $102,260 | 310 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,610 | 2,750 |
| Maryland | $83,390 | 300 |
| Indiana | $81,260 | 1,720 |
| Delaware | $80,410 | — |
| New York | $80,000 | 6,980 |
| Virginia | $79,900 | 900 |
| Illinois | $79,820 | 2,790 |
| Florida | $79,600 | 760 |
| Washington | $79,040 | 810 |
Lowest-paying states
- Kentucky: $52,380 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $55,180 median annual wage
- North Carolina: $58,930 median annual wage
- Wisconsin: $59,690 median annual wage
- Ohio: $61,390 median annual wage
About this occupation
Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight trains. Yardmasters review train schedules and switching orders and coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains and yard switching.
Typical tasks
- Document and prepare reports of accidents, unscheduled stops, or delays.
- Arrange for the removal of defective cars from trains at stations or stops.
- Record departure and arrival times, messages, tickets and revenue collected, and passenger accommodations and destinations.
- Observe yard traffic to determine tracks available to accommodate inbound and outbound traffic.
- Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes.
- Review schedules, switching orders, way bills, and shipping records to obtain cargo loading and unloading information and to plan work.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 4.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 38.9% |
| Some college, no degree | 31.4% |
| Associate's degree | 12.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 10.8% |
| Master's degree | 1.9% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.