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.
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$71,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$7,500
10.6% of base
Total target cash
$79,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$4,50050th$7,50075th$12,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers is a professional role within the function in the Transportation and Material Moving job family.
Typical experience: varies by employer. Entry-level roles usually require little or no prior experience; senior roles typically require 5 or more years in the occupation. See the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for the specific entry path.
What Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firerss do
Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
Top skills:MonitoringOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlCritical ThinkingActive ListeningReading Comprehension
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pay by experience level
Entry level$47,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$60,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$71,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$79,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$89,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,000
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers salary by industry
Rail Transportation
9,620 workers
$74,000
Rail Transportation
9,620 workers
$74,000
Support Activities for Transportation
1,860 workers
$53,000
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
1,860 workers
$53,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
780 workers
$84,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
690 workers
$83,000
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
50 workers
$69,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $57,870 to $68,840.
+19.0% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$47,500
Early career25th percentile
$60,000
Median50th percentile
$71,000
Experienced75th percentile
$79,500
Top earners90th percentile
$89,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
MonitoringOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlCritical ThinkingActive ListeningReading Comprehension
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$71,500
2027$74,000
2028$76,500
2029$79,500
2030$82,000
2031$85,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers make?
The median market pay for a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers in the United States is about $71,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers?
Most Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pay falls between about $60,000 (25th percentile) and $79,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $89,500.
What does a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers do?
Core responsibilities include: observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers; and signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
Is pay for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $57,870 in 2020 to $68,840 in 2025, a change of +19% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pays 4% above the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).
Similar-paying roles in Transportation and Material Moving
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers make?
The average base salary for a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers in the United States is $71,500 per year, or about $34.38 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $60,000 and $79,500 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 $69,000 across 53 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.
Need Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
