Locomotive Engineers pay in the U.S.
$85,900avg. a year
$41.30 an hour · 33,470 employed
Locomotive Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $85,900 a year and a median of $81,410. Pay is highest in Mississippi ($125,980) and lowest in North Carolina ($61,880).
$81,410Median pay
$41.30Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
33,470Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for locomotive engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1300 jobs
Mississippi
$125,980
$60.57 an hour
2640 jobs
Massachusetts
$118,340
$56.89 an hour
32,340 jobs
Illinois
$102,480
$49.27 an hour
41,510 jobs
New York
$98,720
$47.46 an hour
5470 jobs
Montana
$95,640
$45.98 an hour
6350 jobs
Florida
$93,850
$45.12 an hour
7260 jobs
Oklahoma
$93,560
$44.98 an hour
8480 jobs
Colorado
$92,960
$44.69 an hour
9490 jobs
Arizona
$91,490
$43.99 an hour
101,030 jobs
Indiana
$90,740
$43.63 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Locomotive Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $74k$74k–$83k$83k–$91k$91k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $61,580 | $29.61 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $57,440 | $27.62 |
Related jobs
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters$79,100
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers$69,030
- Subway and Streetcar Operators$77,170
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers$68,450
- Rail Transportation Workers, All Other$60,140
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$42,260
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Locomotive Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $70,290 | $77,600 | 590 |
| Arizona | $91,490 | $89,840 | 490 |
| Arkansas | $75,780 | $78,930 | 620 |
| California | $75,600 | $77,070 | 1,570 |
| Colorado | $92,960 | $89,360 | 480 |
| Florida | $93,850 | $92,310 | 350 |
| Illinois | $102,480 | $93,320 | 2,340 |
| Indiana | $90,740 | $92,790 | 1,030 |
| Iowa | $86,180 | $89,970 | 1,000 |
| Kansas | $72,180 | $75,190 | 1,020 |
| Kentucky | $83,310 | $77,620 | 540 |
| Louisiana | $64,920 | $64,200 | 700 |
| Massachusetts | $118,340 | $108,790 | 640 |
| Minnesota | $88,730 | $93,700 | 990 |
| Mississippi | $125,980 | $96,710 | 300 |
| Missouri | $78,270 | $78,820 | 1,110 |
| Montana | $95,640 | $90,220 | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $66,920 | $70,670 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $88,640 | $86,550 | 830 |
| New Mexico | $86,590 | $88,330 | 440 |
| New York | $98,720 | $109,220 | 1,510 |
| North Carolina | $61,880 | $61,190 | 340 |
| Ohio | $66,350 | $63,280 | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $93,560 | $91,970 | 260 |
| Oregon | $76,640 | $79,130 | 580 |
| Pennsylvania | $79,680 | $82,460 | 1,430 |
| South Carolina | $83,100 | $89,290 | 380 |
| South Dakota | $70,010 | $69,180 | 150 |
| Tennessee | $85,470 | $81,410 | 700 |
| Texas | $73,530 | $79,000 | 3,780 |
| Virginia | $85,310 | $90,780 | 790 |
| Washington | $76,070 | $73,750 | 1,120 |
| West Virginia | $67,970 | $64,400 | 340 |
| Wisconsin | $77,030 | $84,550 | 220 |
| Wyoming | $84,680 | $78,910 | – |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$61,580
250 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$57,440
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do locomotive engineers make?
The average is $85,900 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $81,410 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $41.30, and the median is $39.14 an hour.
Which state pays locomotive engineers the most?
Mississippi, with an average of $125,980 a year. The best-paying metro area is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at $61,580.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $60,680 a year, and the top 10% earn over $109,220.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-4011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.