Is this a competitive Locomotive Engineers salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$61K
P25$75K
P50$81K
P75$93K
P90$109K
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $81,411 to $93,267 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Locomotive Engineers pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 5.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.8 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Locomotive Engineers is $81,411 per year ($39.14/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $75,192 and $93,267 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $109,221 per year. There are approximately 33,470 locomotive engineers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interpret train orders, electronic or manual signals, and railroad rules and regulations.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+0.7%
Little or no change
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
27K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Rail Transportation
NAICS 482100
32K
$81,900
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
NAICS 488200
610
$55,640
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
500
$82,490
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land
NAICS 487100
80
$47,920
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing
NAICS 331100
60
$57,730
Wage range across top 5 industries: $47,920 to $82,490 (72% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$29.17
$60,674
P25
$36.15
$75,192
P50MEDIAN
$39.14
$81,411
P75
$44.84
$93,267
P90
$52.51
$109,221
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average locomotive engineers salary?
The national median salary for Locomotive Engineers is $81,411 per year ($39.14/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $75,192 and $93,267 annually.
How much do top-earning locomotive engineers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Locomotive Engineers is $109,221 per year ($52.51/hr). The 75th percentile is $93,267 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for locomotive engineers?
Entry-level Locomotive Engineers (10th percentile) earn approximately $60,674 per year ($29.17/hr). The 25th percentile is $75,192 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
