Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters pay in the U.S.
$79,100avg. a year
$38.03 an hour · 46,440 employed
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in the U.S. earn an average of $79,100 a year and a median of $78,000. Pay is highest in Oklahoma ($94,440) and lowest in Kentucky ($50,230).
$78,000Median pay
$38.03Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
46,440Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for railroad conductors and yardmasters
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1310 jobs
Oklahoma
$94,440
$45.41 an hour
22,790 jobs
Illinois
$89,110
$42.84 an hour
3300 jobs
Maryland
$88,340
$42.47 an hour
4
Delaware
$87,540
$42.09 an hour
56,980 jobs
New York
$86,720
$41.69 an hour
6440 jobs
Mississippi
$86,160
$41.42 an hour
7760 jobs
Florida
$85,030
$40.88 an hour
8830 jobs
Minnesota
$83,640
$40.21 an hour
9460 jobs
Arizona
$83,390
$40.09 an hour
10490 jobs
Colorado
$83,220
$40.01 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.
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters 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 $68k$68k–$78k$78k–$83k$83k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,040 | $36.08 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $47,370 | $22.78 |
Related jobs
- Locomotive Engineers$85,900
- 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
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $83,390 | $78,080 | 460 |
| Arkansas | $70,610 | $67,710 | 390 |
| California | $76,110 | $69,950 | 1,500 |
| Colorado | $83,220 | $77,550 | 490 |
| Delaware | $87,540 | $80,410 | – |
| Florida | $85,030 | $79,600 | 760 |
| Georgia | $77,670 | $75,810 | 1,740 |
| Illinois | $89,110 | $79,820 | 2,790 |
| Indiana | $81,500 | $81,260 | 1,720 |
| Kansas | $62,980 | $68,730 | 1,200 |
| Kentucky | $50,230 | $52,380 | 110 |
| Louisiana | $59,890 | $62,170 | 390 |
| Maryland | $88,340 | $83,390 | 300 |
| Michigan | $78,350 | $78,960 | 760 |
| Minnesota | $83,640 | $78,930 | 830 |
| Mississippi | $86,160 | $78,010 | 440 |
| Missouri | $69,990 | $68,030 | 970 |
| New Mexico | $75,150 | $77,890 | 400 |
| New York | $86,720 | $80,000 | 6,980 |
| North Carolina | $68,070 | $58,930 | – |
| Ohio | $61,810 | $61,390 | 1,480 |
| Oklahoma | $94,440 | $102,260 | 310 |
| Oregon | $70,320 | $68,580 | 390 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,750 | $83,610 | 2,750 |
| South Carolina | $72,890 | $73,660 | 420 |
| South Dakota | $61,410 | $62,730 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $72,560 | $71,740 | 790 |
| Texas | $67,100 | $68,980 | 4,640 |
| Virginia | $78,770 | $79,900 | 900 |
| Washington | $81,600 | $79,040 | 810 |
| West Virginia | $65,470 | $55,180 | 320 |
| Wisconsin | $64,110 | $59,690 | 630 |
| Wyoming | $80,360 | $68,430 | – |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$75,040
3,800 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$47,370
190 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do railroad conductors and yardmasters make?
The average is $79,100 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $78,000 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $38.03, and the median is $37.50 an hour.
Which state pays railroad conductors and yardmasters the most?
Oklahoma, with an average of $94,440 a year. The best-paying metro area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $75,040.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $58,740 a year, and the top 10% earn over $109,770.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-4031. 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.