SOC 53-4013 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers earned a median of $60,600 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 3,920 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $91,380 | $43.93 | 40 | 0.1 |
| Florida | $80,360 | $38.63 | 120 | 0.0 |
| New Jersey | $71,030 | $34.15 | 130 | 0.0 |
| California | $67,160 | $32.29 | 190 | 0.0 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,380 | $31.43 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Oklahoma | $63,400 | $30.48 | 70 | 0.0 |
| Kentucky | $62,070 | $29.84 | 110 | 0.1 |
| Colorado | $60,770 | $29.22 | Not published | Not published |
| Ohio | $59,460 | $28.59 | Not published | Not published |
| Utah | $58,380 | $28.07 | Not published | Not published |
| Kansas | $56,090 | $26.97 | Not published | Not published |
| Indiana | $54,420 | $26.16 | 190 | 0.1 |
| Tennessee | $54,060 | $25.99 | 60 | 0.0 |
| Texas | $53,130 | $25.54 | 50 | 0.0 |
| Nevada | $48,970 | $23.55 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Alabama | $48,900 | $23.51 | 80 | 0.0 |
| Arkansas | $38,980 | $18.74 | 70 | 0.1 |
Pay by metro area
All 2 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $61,230 | $29.44 | Not published | Not published |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $53,890 | $25.91 | 60 | 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.