Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Salary in California
SOC 53-4022 · California · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$58,760
$28.25/hr
14.7% lower than the US national median ($68,848)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Railroad Brake salary in California in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$51K
P25$59K
P50$59K
P75$70K
P90$70K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, August 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 $58,760 to $70,013 (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 Railroad Brake pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 5.1% 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 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.9 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
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.1M (4.3% rate); hires 5.2M, separations 5.1M, quits steady at 1.9%. July openings revised up 64K to 7.3M.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.3M (4.4% rate), but hires fell to 5.1M and separations to 5.1M. Quits slipped to 1.9%. June openings revised down to 7.2M.
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%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 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 median salary for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers in California is $58,760 per year ($28.25/hr). This is 14.7% lower than the national median of $68,848.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$24.75
$51,480
+12.8%
P25
$28.20
$58,656
+1.4%
P50MEDIAN
$28.25
$58,760
-14.7%
P75
$33.66
$70,013
-8.6%
P90Top earners
$33.66
$70,013
-19.1%
How California compares for Railroad Brake
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Railroad Brake in California is above national (+12.8%) at entry but below national (-19.1%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively lower toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $68,848 would sit at about the 69th percentile in California.
The top of the range earns 1.36 times the bottom here against 1.90 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in California.
California employs 1,340 people in this role, 10.8% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Railroad Brake
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.0%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
11K
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
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Rail Transportation
NAICS 482100
10K
$70,960
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
NAICS 488200
2K
$48,710
Wage range across top 5 industries: $48,710 to $70,960 (46% spread)
See the complete picture
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers in California is approximately $58,760, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 14.7% lower than the national median of $68,848. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
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.
