Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
What Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Do
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.
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 5Job 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.
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 4.0/5
- Transportationimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 3.5/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 3.0/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.9/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 2.9/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.9/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.7/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.7/5
- Contact With Others4.5/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
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.
- Construction and Building Inspectors95% skill match
- Medical Dosimetrists94% skill match
- Nuclear Power Reactor Operators94% skill match
- Air Traffic Controllers94% skill match
- Agricultural Inspectors93% skill match
- Airfield Operations Specialists93% skill match
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers93% skill match
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.5/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.4/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.3/5
- Persuasionimportance 3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Automated equipment identification AEI software
- Bourque Data Systems YardMaster
- Freight reservation software
- Inventory tracking software
- Positive train control PTC systems
- RailComm DocYard
- SAIC government services and IT support software
- Softrail AEI Automatic Yard Tracking System
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Leadership Orientation
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- 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 conductors and yardmasters make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Savannah, GA1.52× national avg
- 2New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1.34× national avg
- 3Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX0.20× national avg
- 4Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO0.14× national avg
- 5Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA0.08× national avg
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
- Advanced Career Institute (Visalia, CA)grads earn ~$53,102
- Delta Technical College-Mississippi (Horn Lake, MS)grads earn ~$40,840
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island (Pawtucket, RI)grads earn ~$62,775
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of CT-Bridgeport (Bridgeport, CT)grads earn ~$52,736
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Massachusetts (North Andover, MA)grads earn ~$62,775