Occupation salary profile

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

SOC 53-4022 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$68,840
▲ +5.13% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$69,030
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
12,400
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$45,660
25th$57,820
Median (50th)$68,840
75th$76,590
90th — top pay$86,590

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

BLS projects employment of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers to grow 0.8% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
10,700 → 10,800
+100 jobs
Projected change
+0.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operations Monitoring3.5
  • Monitoring3.4
  • Coordination3.3
  • Operation and Control3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Reading Comprehension2.9
  • Social Perceptiveness2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Transportation4.3
  • Public Safety and Security4.0
  • Administration and Management3.6
  • English Language3.6
  • Customer and Personal Service3.0
  • Education and Training2.8
  • Computers and Electronics2.6
  • Administrative2.4
Software and technology used
Google AndroidMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookElectronic train management system softwareElectronic train management systems ETMSRoute mapping softwareTime tracking software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 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.

About the job

What railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers do

  • Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
  • Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
  • Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
  • Raise levers to couple and uncouple cars for makeup and breakup of trains.
  • Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
  • Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
  • Conduct brake tests to determine the condition of brakes on trains.
  • Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
Also called
BrakemanCarmanRailroad SwitchmanTerminal CarmanFiremanLocomotive Switch OperatorRailroad BrakemanSwitch OperatorSwitchmanYard Switcher
More job titles for this occupation (56)
Air Brake OperatorAir Hose CouplerArea BrakemanBrake HolderBrake RiderCar CouplerCar ShifterCouplerDiesel Locomotive FiremanDiesel Locomotive FirerDinkey BrakemanDinkey Engine FiremanDinkey Engine FirerDonkey Engine FiremanDonkey Engine FirerDukey RiderElectric Locomotive FiremanElectric Locomotive FirerEnginehouse BrakemanFirerFlaggerFlagmanFreight Brake OperatorFreight BrakemanLocomotive FiremanLocomotive FirerMotor BrakemanNarrow Gauge BrakemanPassenger BrakemanPassenger Train BrakerRail WorkerRailcar Brake OperatorRailcar SwitchmanRailroad Brake OperatorRailroad CarmanRailroad FiremanRailroad FirerRailroad Signal OperatorRailroad Switch OperatorRailroad Yard WorkerRailway Switch OperatorRailway SwitchmanRoad Freight Brake CouplerRoundhouse FiremanRoundhouse FirerSteam Locomotive FiremanSteam Locomotive FirerSwitch CouplerSwitch TenderSwitching OperatorTrain Brake OperatorTrain BrakemanTrain BrakerYard BrakemanYard CouplerYard Switch Operator

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.