Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 53-4031 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$78,000
$37.50/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters is $78,000 per year ($37.50/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $65,603 and $83,824 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $109,782 per year. There are approximately 46,440 railroad conductors and yardmasters employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.1%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
37K
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 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Rail Transportation
NAICS 482100
41K
$77,890
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
4K
$80,000
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
NAICS 488200
990
$47,700
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land
NAICS 487100
250
$48,710
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
230
$98,790
Wage range across top 5 industries: $47,700 to $98,790 (107% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$28.24
$58,739
P25
$31.54
$65,603
P50MEDIAN
$37.50
$78,000
P75
$40.30
$83,824
P90
$52.78
$109,782
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average railroad conductors and yardmasters salary?
The national median salary for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters is $78,000 per year ($37.50/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $65,603 and $83,824 annually.
How much do top-earning railroad conductors and yardmasters make?
The 90th percentile salary for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters is $109,782 per year ($52.78/hr). The 75th percentile is $83,824 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for railroad conductors and yardmasters?
Entry-level Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters (10th percentile) earn approximately $58,739 per year ($28.24/hr). The 25th percentile is $65,603 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.
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