The median pay for Locomotive Engineers is $81,410 a year ($39.14/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 0.5% through 2035, with about 2,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 53-4011
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Locomotive Engineer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $81,410a year, or $39.14/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $61KTop 10% $109K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +0.5%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+0.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +0.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,00027,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202527.4K
- Projected 203527.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 27.4K Projected 2035 27.6K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Engineer, Passenger Locomotive Engineer, Railroad Engineer, Steam Locomotive Engineer, Steam Locomotive Fireman, Through Freight Engineer.
Pay
How much do Locomotive Engineers make?
Every locomotive engineer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$81,410
Middle half earn $75,190 to $93,260
- 10th
- $60,680
- 25th
- $75,190
- 75th
- $93,260
- 90th
- $109,220
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $60,680 |
| 25th | $75,190 |
| Median | $81,410 |
| 75th | $93,260 |
| 90th | $109,220 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $81,410
- Median hourly wage
- $39.14/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $85,900
- People employed
- 33,470
Versus all US occupations
At $81,410, Locomotive Engineers earn 60% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $30,430 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 30% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $109,220 or more while the bottom 10% earn $60,680, a gap of 1.8×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 62% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
New York posts the highest raw median ($109,220), but once local prices are taken into account Mississippi leads at $111,221 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Locomotive Engineers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New York | $109,220 | $101,204 | 1,510 |
| 2Massachusetts | $108,790 | $102,868 | 640 |
| 3Mississippi | $96,710 | $111,221 | 300 |
| 4Minnesota | $93,700 | $95,010 | 990 |
| 5Illinois | $93,320 | $93,359 | 2,340 |
| 6Indiana | $92,790 | $99,422 | 1,030 |
| 7Florida | $92,310 | $89,263 | 350 |
| 8Oklahoma | $91,970 | $104,698 | 260 |
| 9Virginia | $90,780 | $89,789 | 790 |
| 10Montana | $90,220 | $95,325 | 470 |
Job outlook
Is Locomotive Engineer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +0.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Locomotive Engineers | +0.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Locomotive Engineers to change 0.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,000 openings are projected each year, 7.3% of the 27,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of railroad workers is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035.
Despite limited employment growth, about 6,100 openings for railroad workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The expected increase in intermodal freight activity, the shipment of goods through multiple transportation modes, may support demand for railroad workers. However, railroads’ efforts to operate more efficiently, such as by deploying automated systems, are likely to limit employment.
Getting in
How to become a Locomotive Engineer
Workers in railroad occupations typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and several months of on-the-job training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a Locomotive Engineer do?
Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interpret train orders, electronic or manual signals, and railroad rules and regulations.
Railroad workers ensure that passenger and freight trains run on time and travel safely. Some workers drive trains, some coordinate the activities of the trains, and others operate signals and switches in the rail yard.
Day-to-day tasks
- Receive starting signals from conductors and use controls such as throttles or air brakes to drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas turbine-electric locomotives.
- Monitor gauges or meters that measure speed, amperage, battery charge, or air pressure in brake lines or in main reservoirs.
- Interpret train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
- Inspect locomotives to verify adequate fuel, sand, water, or other supplies before each run or to check for mechanical problems.
- Observe tracks to detect obstructions.
- Inspect locomotives after runs to detect damaged or defective equipment.
- Confer with conductors or traffic control center personnel via radiophones to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, or oncoming trains.
- Operate locomotives to transport freight or passengers between stations or to assemble or disassemble trains within rail yards.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Because trains operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, railroad workers’ schedules may vary to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Federal regulations require a minimum number of rest hours for train operators.
Locomotive engineers and conductors whose trains travel long routes may be away from home for long periods. Those who work on passenger trains with short routes generally have more predictable schedules. Workers on some freight trains have irregular schedules.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.9
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Active Listening3.5
- Speaking3.4
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Writing2.9
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control4.3
- Operations Monitoring4.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Coordination3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Quality Control Analysis2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 4.3 |
| Operations Monitoring | 4.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Expert system software
- Route navigation software
- Time accounting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Locomotive Engineer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Locomotive Engineer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional4.7
- Investigative3.5
- Enterprising1.9
- Social1.9
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Locomotive Engineer
O*NET related occupations
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More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with locomotive engineers highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator$46,420
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator | $46,420 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Locomotive Engineer appears on
Questions
Locomotive Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Locomotive Engineers make?
Locomotive Engineers earn a median of $81,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 60% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $39.14/hr. The middle half earn between $75,190 and $93,260. The top 10% earn $109,220 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Locomotive Engineer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Locomotive Engineers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Locomotive Engineer a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.5% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Locomotive Engineer do?
Railroad workers ensure that passenger and freight trains run on time and travel safely. A core O*NET task: receive starting signals from conductors and use controls such as throttles or air brakes to drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas turbine-electric locomotives. Employers most often ask for Spreadsheet software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Locomotive Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Locomotive Engineers are New York ($109,220), Massachusetts ($108,790), Mississippi ($96,710) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Mississippi moves to the top at $111,221.
What personality type suits a Locomotive Engineer?
O*NET scores Locomotive Engineers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.