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 Conductors and Yardmasters 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
$82,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$9,500
11.7% of base
Total target cash
$91,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$5,50050th$9,50075th$15,500
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.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.
Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.
Receive information regarding train or rail problems from dispatchers or from electronic monitoring devices.
Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes.
Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.
Top skills:SpeakingMonitoringCoordinationCritical ThinkingTime ManagementJudgment and Decision Making
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters pay by experience level
Entry level$61,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$68,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$80,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$87,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$113,500
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
+1.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
3,100
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 Conductors and Yardmasters salary by industry
Rail Transportation
40,760 workers
$83,500
Rail Transportation
40,760 workers
$83,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
4,020 workers
$79,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
3,790 workers
$78,000
Support Activities for Transportation
1,000 workers
$54,000
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
990 workers
$53,500
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation
250 workers
$50,500
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land
250 workers
$50,500
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
230 workers
$95,500
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services$54,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 56,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
5.5%
White
76%
Black or African American
20.9%
Asian
0.7%
Hispanic or Latino
7.8%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $64,030 to $78,000.
+21.8% 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
$61,000
Early career25th percentile
$68,000
Median50th percentile
$80,500
Experienced75th percentile
$87,000
Top earners90th percentile
$113,500
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.
SpeakingMonitoringCoordinationCritical ThinkingTime ManagementJudgment and Decision Making
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.
Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.
Receive information regarding train or rail problems from dispatchers or from electronic monitoring devices.
Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes.
Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.
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$82,000
2027$85,000
2028$88,000
2029$91,000
2030$94,000
2031$97,500
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 Conductors and Yardmasters make?
The median market pay for a Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in the United States is about $82,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters?
Most Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters pay falls between about $68,000 (25th percentile) and $87,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $113,500.
What does a Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters do?
Core responsibilities include: signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals; and confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.
Is pay for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $64,030 in 2020 to $78,000 in 2025, a change of +21.8% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters pays 19% 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
Need Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters 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.
