Conductor (transit / commuter rail)

Overview

Sourced

Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight trains. Yardmasters review train schedules and switching orders and coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains and yard switching.

O*NET definition of Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters (SOC 53-4031) · Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed.

4,020

in government (SOC 53-4031)

of this occupation works for government

$80,000

median pay in government

Local · State

levels of government

Titles employers use

ConductorFreight ConductorRailroad ConductorYardmasterFreight Train ConductorLocal Freight ConductorRailway YardmasterThru Freight ConductorTrain MasterTrainman

How people usually get in Editorial

exam + training; FRA certification for commuter rail. Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Requirements

Sourced

Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 53-4031)

Education needed to enter: High school diploma or equivalent
Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Education workers say the job requires

High School Diploma or the equivalent

86%

Post-Secondary Certificate

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

Share of surveyed workers in Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters (SOC 53-4031) naming each level as required to be hired, 24 respondents, O*NET survey July 2013. Each employer sets its own minimum.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4); U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

How to get hired

Sourced

Railroad workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and several months of on-the-job training.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Railroad Workers”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Academy and training

Sourced

Training to become competent (BLS)

SOC 53-4031: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Preparation level (O*NET)

Job zone: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Seniority steps: single title × seniority steps; growth via steps, overtime, bidding (bus operator, sanitation, dispatcher). Typical structure for a single title with seniority steps; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

Trainee / probationary
Steps to top rate
Lead / trainer
Supervisor
Manager

Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).

Pay

Sourced

Federal

Not published

State

$98,790

Local

$80,000

All government

$80,000

Private sector

$77,160

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer type	Workers	10th pct.	25th	Median	75th	90th
State	230	$79,200	$84,160	$98,790	$98,790	$98,790
Local	3,790	$55,520	$65,610	$80,000	$80,000	$80,000
All government	4,020	$60,890	$65,610	$80,000	$80,000	$80,000
Private sector	42,420	$58,740	$64,240	$77,160	$85,150	$109,770

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Schedule

Sourced

Typical work week

40 hours

33%

More than 40 hours

67%

Share of surveyed workers in the occupation (O*NET work context, August 2026). Shift patterns and differentials depend on the employer.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Day-to-day work

Sourced

Observe yard traffic to determine tracks available to accommodate inbound and outbound traffic.4.8
Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes.4.6
Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.4.5
Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.4.5
Direct engineers to move cars to fit planned train configurations, combining or separating cars to make up or break up trains.4.5
Confirm routes and destination information for freight cars.4.5
Arrange for the removal of defective cars from trains at stations or stops.4.4
Review schedules, switching orders, way bills, and shipping records to obtain cargo loading and unloading information and to plan work.4.3
Receive information regarding train or rail problems from dispatchers or from electronic monitoring devices.4.2
Operate controls to activate track switches and traffic signals.4.2

The 10 most important of 12 core tasks for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2026.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived

Employer directory

Sourced

1,754 transit agencies in the registry. Public transit agencies reporting to the National Transit Database. Service an agency contracts out is run by private operators' employees. The 10 largest by vehicles operated directly:

Employer	Location	Vehicles operated directly	Website
MTA New York City Transit	Brooklyn, NY	9,252	Official site
New Jersey Transit Corporation	Newark, NJ	2,717	Official site
Chicago Transit Authority	Chicago, IL	2,505	Official site
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority	Washington, DC	2,140	Official site
King County	Seattle, WA	1,849	Official site
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority	Los Angeles, CA	1,817	Official site
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority	Philadelphia, PA	1,668	Official site
Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, dba: MTA Metro-North Railroad	New York, NY	1,140	Official site
MTA Bus Company	New York, NY	1,136	Official site
MTA Long Island Rail Road	New York, NY	1,082	Official site

Full lists by state:

California · 207 Illinois · 95 North Carolina · 91 Georgia · 82 Michigan · 81 Wisconsin · 78 New York · 69 Texas · 63 Florida · 59 Kansas · 53 Ohio · 53 Washington · 47

As reported by each employer to its federal registry.

Source: Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database 2024 — Reporter Agency Information. Data captured September 30, 2026.

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters (SOC 53-4031) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

State	Workers	10th pct.	Median	90th pct.
Oklahoma	310	$51,360	$102,260	$128,140
Pennsylvania	2,750	$58,990	$83,610	$83,870
Maryland	300	$65,300	$83,390	$97,510
Indiana	1,720	$64,240	$81,260	$96,820
Delaware	Not published	$74,530	$80,410	$130,710
New York	6,980	$65,610	$80,000	$109,770
Virginia	900	$63,860	$79,900	$79,900
Illinois	2,790	$63,290	$79,820	$134,440
Florida	760	$50,430	$79,600	$121,460
Washington	810	$63,880	$79,040	$120,630
Michigan	760	$58,850	$78,960	$92,710
Minnesota	830	$78,800	$78,930	$91,400
Arizona	460	$62,930	$78,080	$121,330
Mississippi	440	$49,030	$78,010	$137,590
New Mexico	400	$64,890	$77,890	$77,890
Colorado	490	$59,020	$77,550	$123,860
Georgia	1,740	$46,450	$75,810	$126,950
South Carolina	420	$73,660	$73,660	$73,660
Tennessee	790	$47,220	$71,740	$92,980
California	1,500	$69,230	$69,950	$113,680
Texas	4,640	$45,680	$68,980	$79,400
Kansas	1,200	$49,190	$68,730	$71,400
Oregon	390	$59,160	$68,580	$77,160
Wyoming	Not published	$68,430	$68,430	$107,560
Missouri	970	$59,990	$68,030	$68,590
Arkansas	390	$47,210	$67,710	$83,290
South Dakota	90	$46,320	$62,730	$80,580
Louisiana	390	$45,240	$62,170	$71,850
Ohio	1,480	$61,340	$61,390	$67,600
Wisconsin	630	$50,540	$59,690	$74,500
North Carolina	Not published	$52,040	$58,930	$92,220
West Virginia	320	$46,570	$55,180	$99,330
Kentucky	110	$30,620	$52,380	$76,280

33 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

05 Probation
Probation length and what ends it
Not yet collected
09 Benefits and pension
Pension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
Not yet collected
10 Union contracts
Bargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
Not yet collected
11 Transfers and lateral entry
Lateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves
Not yet collected
14 Exam practice
Named exams → OpenExamPrep practice
Not yet collected

Conductor (transit / commuter rail)

Overview

Titles employers use

Requirements

Education workers say the job requires

How to get hired

Academy and training

Promotion ladder

Pay

Schedule

Day-to-day work

Related jobs

Employer directory

By state

Not yet collected