Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for railroad conductors and yardmasterss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Kentucky$50,230
- Louisiana$59,890
- South Dakota$61,410
- Ohio$61,810
- Kansas$62,980
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | $94,440 | $102,260 | $45 | +19.4% | 310 |
| 2 | Illinois | $89,110 | $79,820 | $43 | +12.7% | 2,790 |
| 3 | Maryland | $88,340 | $83,390 | $42 | +11.7% | 300 |
| 4 | Delaware | $87,540 | $80,410 | $42 | +10.7% | — |
| 5 | New York | $86,720 | $80,000 | $42 | +9.6% | 6,980 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $86,160 | $78,010 | $41 | +8.9% | 440 |
| 7 | Florida | $85,030 | $79,600 | $41 | +7.5% | 760 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $83,640 | $78,930 | $40 | +5.7% | 830 |
| 9 | Arizona | $83,390 | $78,080 | $40 | +5.4% | 460 |
| 10 | Colorado | $83,220 | $77,550 | $40 | +5.2% | 490 |
| 11 | Washington | $81,600 | $79,040 | $39 | +3.2% | 810 |
| 12 | Indiana | $81,500 | $81,260 | $39 | +3% | 1,720 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $80,360 | $68,430 | $39 | +1.6% | — |
| 14 | Virginia | $78,770 | $79,900 | $38 | -0.4% | 900 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $78,750 | $83,610 | $38 | -0.4% | 2,750 |
| 16 | Michigan | $78,350 | $78,960 | $38 | -0.9% | 760 |
| 17 | Georgia | $77,670 | $75,810 | $37 | -1.8% | 1,740 |
| 18 | California | $76,110 | $69,950 | $37 | -3.8% | 1,500 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $75,150 | $77,890 | $36 | -5% | 400 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $72,890 | $73,660 | $35 | -7.9% | 420 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $72,560 | $71,740 | $35 | -8.3% | 790 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $70,610 | $67,710 | $34 | -10.7% | 390 |
| 23 | Oregon | $70,320 | $68,580 | $34 | -11.1% | 390 |
| 24 | Missouri | $69,990 | $68,030 | $34 | -11.5% | 970 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $68,070 | $58,930 | $33 | -13.9% | — |
| 26 | Texas | $67,100 | $68,980 | $32 | -15.2% | 4,640 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $65,470 | $55,180 | $31 | -17.2% | 320 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $64,110 | $59,690 | $31 | -19% | 630 |
| 29 | Kansas | $62,980 | $68,730 | $30 | -20.4% | 1,200 |
| 30 | Ohio | $61,810 | $61,390 | $30 | -21.9% | 1,480 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $61,410 | $62,730 | $30 | -22.4% | 90 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $59,890 | $62,170 | $29 | -24.3% | 390 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $50,230 | $52,380 | $24 | -36.5% | 110 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 7 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $96,120 | $87,680 | 80 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,400 | $97,280 | 50 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80,000 | $75,040 | 3,800 |
| 4 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $59,790 | $59,850 | 70 |
| 5 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $46,440 | $47,370 | 190 |
| 6 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $45,600 | $47,660 | 70 |
| 7 | Savannah, GA | $38,020 | $40,440 | 90 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing railroad conductors and yardmasterss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $98,790 | $92,130 | 230 |
| 2 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $98,790 | $92,130 | 230 |
| 3 | Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $85,280 | $80,510 | 80 |
| 4 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $80,000 | $76,260 | 4,020 |
| 5 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $80,000 | $76,260 | 4,020 |
| 6 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $80,000 | $75,280 | 3,790 |
| 7 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $80,000 | $75,280 | 3,790 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $80,000 | $76,260 | 4,020 |
| 9 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $78,000 | $79,100 | 46,440 |
| 10 | Rail Transportation | $77,890 | $80,440 | 40,760 |
| 11 | Rail Transportation | $77,890 | $80,440 | 40,760 |
| 12 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $77,550 | $79,570 | 42,040 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do railroad conductors and yardmasters make in the U.S.?
The median railroad conductors and yardmasters salary in the United States is $78,000 per year (mean $79,100), and about 80% earn between $58,740 and $109,770.
How much do railroad conductors and yardmasters make per hour?
Roughly $38 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $79,100 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays railroad conductors and yardmasters the most?
Oklahoma has the highest average pay for railroad conductors and yardmasters at $94,440 per year (median $102,260).
What is the job outlook for railroad conductors and yardmasters?
Employment is projected to change +1.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 3,100 openings per year.