Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

Median salary

$68,840

Average salary

$69,030

Employment

12,400

Projected growth

1% growth

Annual openings

1,000

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Do

Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Transportationimportance 3.9/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.3/5
English Languageimportance 3.2/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.8/5
Law and Governmentimportance 2.6/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
Telecommunicationsimportance 2.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.9/5
Exposed to Contaminants4.8/5
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.7/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand97% skill match
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders97% skill match
Commercial Pilots96% skill match
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders95% skill match
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators95% skill match
Bridge and Lock Tenders95% skill match
Slaughterers and Meat Packers95% skill match
Locomotive Engineers95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operations Monitoringimportance 3.4/5
Operation and Controlimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Instructingimportance 2.8/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Electronic train management system software
Electronic train management systems ETMS
Route mapping software
Time tracking software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control
Cooperation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).