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How Much Does a Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster Make?
A railroad conductor and yardmaster in the US earns a median salary of $78,000 a year, or $37.50 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $79,100, and the middle half earn between $65,610 and $83,820.
Railroad conductor and yardmaster pay range
What railroad conductors and yardmasters earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $58,740 | $28.24 | |
| 25th | $65,610 | $31.54 | |
| Median (50th) | $78,000 | $37.50 | |
| 75th | $83,820 | $40.30 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $109,770 | $52.78 |
The median is 53% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 46,440 people work as railroad conductors and yardmasters in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $1,500
- Every two weeks
- $3,000
- Twice a month
- $3,250
- A month
- $6,500
At the median salary, before tax.
Railroad conductor and yardmaster salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Oklahoma pays railroad conductors and yardmasters the most, at $94,440 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $94,440 | $102,260 | 310 | After tax |
| Illinois | $89,110 | $79,820 | 2,790 | After tax |
| Maryland | $88,340 | $83,390 | 300 | After tax |
| Delaware | $87,540 | $80,410 | – | After tax |
| New York | $86,720 | $80,000 | 6,980 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $86,160 | $78,010 | 440 | After tax |
| Florida | $85,030 | $79,600 | 760 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $83,640 | $78,930 | 830 | After tax |
| Arizona | $83,390 | $78,080 | 460 | After tax |
| Colorado | $83,220 | $77,550 | 490 | After tax |
| Washington | $81,600 | $79,040 | 810 | After tax |
| Indiana | $81,500 | $81,260 | 1,720 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $80,360 | $68,430 | – | After tax |
| Virginia | $78,770 | $79,900 | 900 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $78,750 | $83,610 | 2,750 | After tax |
| Michigan | $78,350 | $78,960 | 760 | After tax |
| Georgia | $77,670 | $75,810 | 1,740 | After tax |
| California | $76,110 | $69,950 | 1,500 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $75,150 | $77,890 | 400 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $72,890 | $73,660 | 420 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $72,560 | $71,740 | 790 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $70,610 | $67,710 | 390 | After tax |
| Oregon | $70,320 | $68,580 | 390 | After tax |
| Missouri | $69,990 | $68,030 | 970 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $68,070 | $58,930 | – | After tax |
| Texas | $67,100 | $68,980 | 4,640 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $65,470 | $55,180 | 320 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $64,110 | $59,690 | 630 | After tax |
| Kansas | $62,980 | $68,730 | 1,200 | After tax |
| Ohio | $61,810 | $61,390 | 1,480 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $61,410 | $62,730 | 90 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $59,890 | $62,170 | 390 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $50,230 | $52,380 | 110 | After tax |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other transportation and material moving jobs
- Warehouse laborer $40,240 median
- Stocker and order filler $37,330 median
- Truck driver $58,640 median
- Light truck driver $44,860 median
- Industrial truck and tractor operator $46,420 median
- First-line supervisor of transportation and material moving workers $62,890 median
- Packer and packager, hand $36,280 median
- Driver/sales worker $38,770 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters” (SOC 53-4031). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a railroad conductor and yardmaster make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a railroad conductor and yardmaster is $37.50, and the average is $38.03. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $28.24 an hour and the top 10% over $52.78.
How much does a railroad conductor and yardmaster make a month?
At the median salary of $78,000, a railroad conductor and yardmaster earns about $6,500 a month before tax, or $3,000 every two weeks.
Which state pays railroad conductors and yardmasters the most?
Oklahoma has the highest average pay for a railroad conductor and yardmaster, at $94,440 a year. Next are Illinois and Maryland. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a railroad conductor and yardmaster?
The lowest-paid 10% of railroad conductors and yardmasters earn less than $58,740 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $65,610. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid railroad conductors and yardmasters make?
The top 10% earn more than $109,770 a year, and the top 25% more than $83,820.
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