SOC 53-4011 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Locomotive Engineers
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, locomotive engineers earned a median of $81,410 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 33,470 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $109,220 | $52.51 | 1,510 | 0.2 |
| Massachusetts | $108,790 | $52.31 | 640 | 0.2 |
| Mississippi | $96,710 | $46.50 | 300 | 0.3 |
| Minnesota | $93,700 | $45.05 | 990 | 0.3 |
| Illinois | $93,320 | $44.87 | 2,340 | 0.4 |
| Indiana | $92,790 | $44.61 | 1,030 | 0.3 |
| Florida | $92,310 | $44.38 | 350 | 0.0 |
| Oklahoma | $91,970 | $44.21 | 260 | 0.2 |
| Virginia | $90,780 | $43.64 | 790 | 0.2 |
| Montana | $90,220 | $43.38 | 470 | 0.9 |
| Iowa | $89,970 | $43.25 | 1,000 | 0.6 |
| Arizona | $89,840 | $43.19 | 490 | 0.2 |
| Colorado | $89,360 | $42.96 | 480 | 0.2 |
| South Carolina | $89,290 | $42.93 | 380 | 0.2 |
| New Mexico | $88,330 | $42.47 | 440 | 0.5 |
| New Jersey | $86,550 | $41.61 | 830 | 0.2 |
| Wisconsin | $84,550 | $40.65 | 220 | 0.1 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,460 | $39.64 | 1,430 | 0.2 |
| Tennessee | $81,410 | $39.14 | 700 | 0.2 |
| Oregon | $79,130 | $38.05 | 580 | 0.3 |
| Texas | $79,000 | $37.98 | 3,780 | 0.3 |
| Arkansas | $78,930 | $37.95 | 620 | 0.5 |
| Wyoming | $78,910 | $37.94 | Not published | Not published |
| Missouri | $78,820 | $37.90 | 1,110 | 0.4 |
| Kentucky | $77,620 | $37.32 | 540 | 0.3 |
| Alabama | $77,600 | $37.31 | 590 | 0.3 |
| California | $77,070 | $37.06 | 1,570 | 0.1 |
| Kansas | $75,190 | $36.15 | 1,020 | 0.7 |
| Washington | $73,750 | $35.46 | 1,120 | 0.3 |
| New Hampshire | $70,670 | $33.98 | 30 | 0.0 |
| South Dakota | $69,180 | $33.26 | 150 | 0.3 |
| West Virginia | $64,400 | $30.96 | 340 | 0.5 |
| Louisiana | $64,200 | $30.87 | 700 | 0.4 |
| Ohio | $63,280 | $30.42 | 200 | 0.0 |
| North Carolina | $61,190 | $29.42 | 340 | 0.1 |
| Delaware | Not published | Not published | 290 | 0.6 |
Pay by metro area
All 3 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $65,340 | $31.42 | 250 | 0.1 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $63,700 | $30.63 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $57,140 | $27.47 | 100 | 0.0 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.