Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salary in Illinois
SOC 53-4031 · Illinois · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$79,830
$38.38/hr
2.3% higher than the US national median ($78,000)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salary in Illinois in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$63K
P25$77K
P50$80K
P75$96K
P90$134K
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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 $79,830 to $96,117 (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 Conductors and Yardmasters pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 5.3% 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 Conductors and Yardmasters in Illinois is $79,830 per year ($38.38/hr). This is 2.3% higher than the national median of $78,000.
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.
Wage Percentiles: Illinois
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$30.43
$63,294
+7.8%
P25
$37.01
$76,981
+17.3%
P50MEDIAN
$38.38
$79,830
+2.3%
P75
$46.21
$96,117
+14.7%
P90Top earners
$64.63
$134,430
+22.5%
How Illinois compares for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in Illinois is above national (+7.8%) at entry but above national (+22.5%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively higher toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $78,000 would sit at about the 33rd percentile in Illinois.
The top of the range earns 2.12 times the bottom here against 1.87 times nationally, so pay for this role varies more between entry and senior levels in Illinois.
Illinois employs 2,790 people in this role, 6.0% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
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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 2 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
See the complete picture
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median railroad conductors and yardmasters salary in Illinois?
The median (P50) annual salary for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in Illinois is approximately $79,830, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 2.3% higher than the national median of $78,000. 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.
