Locomotive Engineers
Median $81,410
Occupation · SOC 53-4022
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers: pay and where the jobs are
What railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$68,840 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $69,030
- Median hourly wage
- $33.10
- Mean hourly wage
- $33.19
- Employment
- 12,400
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-4022.
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See where your pay falls among railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers make?
The median annual wage for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers was $68,840 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $45,660 and the highest-paid 10% more than $86,590. As an hourly rate, the median is $33.10. About 12,400 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Washington ($85,140), New York ($83,530) and Iowa ($80,910). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Iowa.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,660 | $21.95 | $3,805 | $3,239 |
| 25th percentile | $57,820 | $27.80 | $4,818 | $4,053 |
| Median | $68,840 | $33.10 | $5,737 | $4,772 |
| 75th percentile | $76,590 | $36.82 | $6,383 | $5,226 |
| 90th percentile | $86,590 | $41.63 | $7,216 | $5,812 |
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers: pay by state
24 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$72,158 take-home in national prices
2
$63,118 take-home in national prices
3
$62,342 take-home in national prices
Where a median railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 740 | $85,140 | $62,360 | $85,140 | $67,545 | $63,118 |
| New York | 220 | $83,530 | $47,570 | $137,890 | $63,288 | $58,643 |
| Iowa | 220 | $80,910 | $50,660 | $82,240 | $63,327 | $72,158 |
| Maryland | 100 | $79,180 | $49,920 | $104,260 | $61,138 | $58,249 |
| Illinois | 1,210 | $76,290 | $48,410 | $99,430 | $58,868 | $58,893 |
| Colorado | Not published | $76,140 | $48,150 | $97,940 | $59,418 | $57,658 |
| Georgia | 250 | $75,540 | $52,940 | $109,270 | $58,951 | $61,221 |
| New Jersey | 70 | $74,160 | $52,850 | $81,440 | $57,950 | $53,261 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $72,340 | $50,070 | $76,590 | $57,487 | $62,342 |
| Texas | 1,650 | $71,580 | $39,570 | $71,860 | $59,187 | $60,981 |
| Ohio | 280 | $67,770 | $49,600 | $70,430 | $55,086 | $59,377 |
| Missouri | 730 | $67,110 | $67,050 | $67,290 | $53,825 | $59,268 |
| Kansas | 390 | $66,990 | $62,400 | $72,800 | $53,019 | $58,866 |
| Michigan | 190 | $66,970 | $40,890 | $117,650 | $53,348 | $55,445 |
| Indiana | 160 | $64,530 | $60,200 | $77,760 | $52,156 | $55,884 |
| California | 1,340 | $58,770 | $51,480 | $70,000 | $47,072 | $42,514 |
| Florida | 130 | $58,250 | $43,180 | $95,380 | $48,984 | $47,367 |
| Kentucky | 170 | $56,410 | $56,240 | $63,000 | $45,649 | $50,631 |
| Alabama | 240 | $56,050 | $44,050 | $104,250 | $44,881 | $50,529 |
| Pennsylvania | 350 | $55,470 | $33,950 | $73,530 | $45,008 | $46,128 |
| North Carolina | 110 | $54,810 | $36,780 | $87,560 | $44,542 | $47,221 |
| Louisiana | 210 | $54,260 | $39,840 | $63,250 | $44,536 | $50,491 |
| West Virginia | 120 | $46,900 | $40,010 | $79,020 | $38,551 | $43,075 |
| Wyoming | 400 | $45,490 | $40,090 | $70,070 | $38,731 | $41,785 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-4022. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.