$
BLSSalary

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salary (2025)

Based on 46,440 employed workers · BLS OEWS May 2025

Official BLS Data
Annual Mean
$79,100
$38.03/hr
Annual Median
$78,000
$37.50/hr
Bottom 10%
$58,740
$28.24/hr
Top 10%
$109,770
$52.78/hr

Salary Percentile Breakdown

PercentileAnnual
10th Percentile
Bottom 10%
$58,740
25th Percentile
Lower quarter
$65,610
50th PercentileMedian
Median
$78,000
75th Percentile
Upper quarter
$83,820
90th Percentile
Top 10%
$109,770

Salary Distribution

Annual Salary Range

10th

$59K

25th

$66K

Median

$78K

75th

$84K

90th

$110K

Highest Paying States for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

States with highest average wages · BLS May 2025

StateAnnual Mean
Oklahoma$94,440
Illinois$89,110
Maryland$88,340
Delaware$87,540
New York$86,720
Mississippi$86,160
Florida$85,030
Minnesota$83,640
Arizona$83,390
Colorado$83,220

Geographic Salary Variation

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salaries vary significantly across the United States. The highest paying state is Oklahoma at an average of $94,440 per year, while Colorado has an average of $83,220 — a difference of $11,220. These geographic differences reflect variations in cost of living, demand, and local labor market conditions.

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Top cities by average annual wage

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$97,280
per year
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$87,680
per year
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$75,040
per year
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$59,850
per year
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$47,660
per year
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$47,370
per year
Savannah, GA
$40,440
per year

About Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 46,440 workers were employed as Railroad Conductors and Yardmasterss in the United States as of May 2025. This occupation is classified under Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. The annual mean wage of $79,100 reflects data from employer surveys conducted by BLS.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC Code: 53-4031

What do these percentiles mean? The 10th percentile ($58,740) represents entry-level or part-time Railroad Conductors and Yardmasterss, while the 90th percentile ($109,770) represents highly experienced professionals or those in high-demand locations. The median ($78,000) is the midpoint — half of all Railroad Conductors and Yardmasterss earn more and half earn less than this amount.

Related Occupations in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
$40,240
median/yr
Stockers and Order Fillers
$37,330
median/yr
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
$58,640
median/yr
Light Truck Drivers
$44,860
median/yr
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
$46,420
median/yr
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
$62,890
median/yr
Data sourced from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025. Public domain. Not affiliated with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.