SOC 53-4031 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, railroad conductors and yardmasters earned a median of $78,000 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 46,440 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $102,260 | $49.16 | 310 | 0.2 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,610 | $40.20 | 2,750 | 0.5 |
| Maryland | $83,390 | $40.09 | 300 | 0.1 |
| Indiana | $81,260 | $39.07 | 1,720 | 0.5 |
| Delaware | $80,410 | $38.66 | Not published | Not published |
| New York | $80,000 | $38.46 | 6,980 | 0.7 |
| Virginia | $79,900 | $38.41 | 900 | 0.2 |
| Illinois | $79,820 | $38.38 | 2,790 | 0.5 |
| Florida | $79,600 | $38.27 | 760 | 0.1 |
| Washington | $79,040 | $38.00 | 810 | 0.2 |
| Michigan | $78,960 | $37.96 | 760 | 0.2 |
| Minnesota | $78,930 | $37.95 | 830 | 0.3 |
| Arizona | $78,080 | $37.54 | 460 | 0.1 |
| Mississippi | $78,010 | $37.50 | 440 | 0.4 |
| New Mexico | $77,890 | $37.45 | 400 | 0.5 |
| Colorado | $77,550 | $37.28 | 490 | 0.2 |
| Georgia | $75,810 | $36.45 | 1,740 | 0.4 |
| South Carolina | $73,660 | $35.42 | 420 | 0.2 |
| Tennessee | $71,740 | $34.49 | 790 | 0.2 |
| California | $69,950 | $33.63 | 1,500 | 0.1 |
| Texas | $68,980 | $33.16 | 4,640 | 0.3 |
| Kansas | $68,730 | $33.05 | 1,200 | 0.8 |
| Oregon | $68,580 | $32.97 | 390 | 0.2 |
| Wyoming | $68,430 | $32.90 | Not published | Not published |
| Missouri | $68,030 | $32.71 | 970 | 0.3 |
| Arkansas | $67,710 | $32.56 | 390 | 0.3 |
| South Dakota | $62,730 | $30.16 | 90 | 0.2 |
| Louisiana | $62,170 | $29.89 | 390 | 0.2 |
| Ohio | $61,390 | $29.52 | 1,480 | 0.3 |
| Wisconsin | $59,690 | $28.70 | 630 | 0.2 |
| North Carolina | $58,930 | $28.33 | Not published | Not published |
| West Virginia | $55,180 | $26.53 | 320 | 0.5 |
| Kentucky | $52,380 | $25.18 | 110 | 0.1 |
| Idaho | Not published | Not published | 270 | 0.3 |
Pay by metro area
All 7 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $96,120 | $46.21 | 80 | 0.0 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,400 | $44.42 | 50 | 0.0 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80,000 | $38.46 | 3,800 | 0.4 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $59,790 | $28.75 | 70 | 0.0 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $46,440 | $22.33 | 190 | 0.1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $45,600 | $21.92 | 70 | 0.0 |
| Savannah, GA | $38,020 | $18.28 | 90 | 0.5 |
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.