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Role hub · Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

Train Conductor: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
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Median percentile pay

Half of train conductors earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$78,000
Hourly
$37.50
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Train Conductors coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. The median pay is $78,000 a year ($37.50 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (86% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$78,000
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
46,440
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 1-2 of 5
very little to some preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
86% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters (O*NET-SOC 53-4031.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Train Conductors at a glance

  • Railroad conductors and yardmasters in the United States earned a median annual wage of $78,000 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for railroad conductors and yardmasters in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of railroad conductors and yardmasters in the United States to grow 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,000 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 46,440 people were employed as railroad conductors and yardmasters in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Train Conductors

SalaryTrain Conductor salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

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The work

What train conductors do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Observe yard traffic to determine tracks available to accommodate inbound and outbound traffic.
  2. Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes.
  3. Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.
  4. Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.
  5. Direct engineers to move cars to fit planned train configurations, combining or separating cars to make up or break up trains.
  6. Confirm routes and destination information for freight cars.
  7. Arrange for the removal of defective cars from trains at stations or stops.
  8. Review schedules, switching orders, way bills, and shipping records to obtain cargo loading and unloading information and to plan work.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all train conductor jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Rail transportation84.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +0.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $80,440
  2. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals10.6% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $76,260
  3. Support activities for transportation2.7% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $52,050
  4. Scenic and sightseeing transportation0.7% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $48,920

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

CoordinationcoreSpeakingcoreMonitoringcoreCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingTime ManagementActive ListeningOperations MonitoringComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Public Safety and Security, Transportation, English Language, Education and Training, Law and Government.

Tools and technology

Software train conductors use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Automated equipment identification AEI softwareIndustrial control software
  • Bourque Data Systems YardMasterMaterials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
  • Freight reservation softwareMaterials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
  • Inventory tracking softwareInventory management software
  • Positive train control PTC systemsExpert system software
  • RailComm DocYardIndustrial control software
  • SAIC government services and IT support softwareIndustrial control software
  • Softrail AEI Automatic Yard Tracking SystemIndustrial control software
  • Softrail AEI Rail & Road ManagerInventory management software
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology

Also called: Conductor, Freight Conductor, Freight Train Conductor, Local Freight Conductor, Railroad Conductor, Railway Yardmaster.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.