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Locomotive Engineer

Average base salary, Ohio
$68,500 / year
$5,700 per month · $32.93 per hour

BLS May 2025 state data for Ohio · median $65,500
25th percentile
$65,500
Average
$68,500
75th percentile
$65,500
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Locomotive Engineer salary by state
Alabama$73,000
Arizona$94,500
Arkansas$78,500
California$78,000
Colorado$96,000
Florida$97,000
Illinois$106,000
Indiana$94,000
Iowa$89,000
Kansas$74,500
Kentucky$86,000
Louisiana$67,000
Minnesota$92,000
Mississippi$130,500
Missouri$81,000
Montana$99,000
New Jersey$91,500
New Mexico$89,500
New York$102,000
Ohio$68,500
Oklahoma$97,000
Oregon$79,500
Tennessee$88,500
Texas$76,000
Virginia$88,500
Washington$78,500
Wisconsin$79,500
Wyoming$87,500
About this role

Locomotive Engineer is a professional role in the Transportation and Material Moving job family, focused on Locomotive Engineer work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Locomotive Engineers do

Typical education: High School Diploma

  • Interpret train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
  • Confer with conductors or traffic control center personnel via radiophones to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, or oncoming trains.
  • Receive starting signals from conductors and use controls such as throttles or air brakes to drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas turbine-electric locomotives.
  • Monitor gauges or meters that measure speed, amperage, battery charge, or air pressure in brake lines or in main reservoirs.
  • Observe tracks to detect obstructions.

Top skills: Operation and Control Operations Monitoring Active Listening Speaking Monitoring Critical Thinking

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Locomotive Engineer salary by industry
Sectors 48 and 49 – Transportation and Warehousing

32,600 workers

$89,500

Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS

570 workers

$78,500

Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)

500 workers

$79,500

Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing

80 workers

$60,500

Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)

60 workers

$72,000

Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

30 workers

$56,000

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares

Locomotive Engineer pays 30% above the average across 50 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $68,500).

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Locomotive Engineer make?

The average base salary for a Locomotive Engineer in the United States is $89,000 per year, or about $42.79 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $78,000 and $96,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Transportation and Material Moving roles?

The Transportation and Material Moving job family averages $68,500 across 50 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.

Explore Market DataOur Methodology

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