Can you make good money working for the railroad?

The best Railroad jobs can pay up to $167,000 per year. There are a variety of jobs necessary for the maintenance of rail stations, depots, and tracks. All of these jobs have significantly different requirements and skills, and many require frequent long-distance travel.



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Hourly Wage for Railroad Worker Salary in the United States The average hourly wage for a Railroad Worker in the United States is $24 as of September 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $22 and $27.

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THE PAY IS GREAT While money isn't everything, it sure doesn't hurt when looking at potential new careers. According to PayScale, the average salary for someone in the rail freight transportation industry is $81,000 per year.

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How much does a Railroad Worker make hourly in the United States? The average hourly wage for a Railroad Worker in the United States is $24 as of September 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $22 and $27.

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BNSF Railway is most highly rated for Compensation and benefits and Union Pacific is most highly rated for Compensation and benefits. Learn more, read reviews and see open jobs.

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High Paying Railroad Jobs
  • Signal Integrity Engineer. Salary range: $167,000-$167,000 per year. ...
  • Signal Processing Engineer. Salary range: $110,500-$154,000 per year. ...
  • Signal Engineer. Salary range: $86,000-$142,500 per year. ...
  • Steam Engineer. ...
  • Train Dispatcher. ...
  • Yardmaster. ...
  • Switch Technician. ...
  • Depot Manager.


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Because trains operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, railroad workers' schedules may vary to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.

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The job was very stressful and required long hours. It wasn't unusual for me to work 80 hours a week. I often worked overnight, evenings, weekends and long hours. Over time, I became chronically fatigued.

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Railroads are USA's most profitable industry with a 50% profit margin. The US economy is colossal. In fact, it represents more than 20% (1/5th) of the entire global economy.

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In a world becoming ever more urbanised, rail travel is well matched to urban needs. High-speed rail can serve as an alternative to short-distance air travel, and conventional and freight rail can complement other transport modes to provide efficient mobility.

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As a result, although rail transport has advantages such as high carrying capacity, economy, reliability and environmental impact, it also has some disadvantages such as limited flexibility, operating costs, necessity of intermodal connections and delivery time.

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The average age of male Railroad conductors & yardmasters in the workforce is 41.6 and of female Railroad conductors & yardmasters is 44.1, and the most common race/ethnicity for Railroad conductors & yardmasters is White.

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These include the:
  • Exposure to toxic chemicals.
  • Danger of slips, trips and falls accidents.
  • Hazard of working around high-voltage electricity and moving trains.


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U.S. employment in rail transportation At the same time, working conditions for the employees remaining at these railroads have deteriorated. “Even the good pay and pensions aren't worth it anymore, because they're being so overworked,” said Schuhrke.

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Conductors do not sleep on trains. As operating personnel they are awake for their entire shift, and can be on duty no more than 12 hours. At crew change points, they stay in hotels that the railroad has arranged for them. The same situation applies to engineers (in other countries, the “driver”).

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How much time do train conductors spend away from home? A better quality of life. This is especially true for conductors who spend, on average, 89 days away from home each year. Freight railroad management is reimagining the conductor's role.

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