Subway and Streetcar Operators earn a median of $86,380 per year ($41.53/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.7% through 2035, with about 900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 53-4041
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Subway and Streetcar Operator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $86,380a year, or $41.53/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $55KTop 10% $90K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.7%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 90010,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202510.5K
- Projected 203510.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 10.5K Projected 2035 10.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school86.5%
- Certificate8.9%
- Some college4.6%
Highest education held by subway and streetcar operators Segment Value High school 86.5% Certificate 8.9% Some college 4.6%
Also advertised as: Combined Rail Operator, Light Rail Operator, Light Rail Train Operator, Light Rail Vehicle Operator (LRV Operator), Rail Operator, Rapid Transit Operator (RTO).
Pay
How much do Subway and Streetcar Operators make?
Every subway and streetcar operator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$86,380
Middle half earn $61,980 to $90,140
- 10th
- $55,180
- 25th
- $61,980
- 75th
- $90,140
- 90th
- $90,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $55,180 |
| 25th | $61,980 |
| Median | $86,380 |
| 75th | $90,140 |
| 90th | $90,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $86,380
- Median hourly wage
- $41.53/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $77,170
- People employed
- 10,200
Versus all US occupations
At $86,380, Subway and Streetcar Operators earn 69% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $35,400 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 37% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $90,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $55,180, a gap of 1.6×. 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 65% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Maryland pays the most at $92,420, and still leads at $88,053 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Subway and Streetcar Operators 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Maryland | $92,420 | $88,053 | 480 |
| 2California | $78,680 | $71,062 | 900 |
| 3Washington | $77,020 | $71,973 | 320 |
| 4Florida | $72,860 | $70,455 | 130 |
| 5New Jersey | $68,970 | $63,389 | 140 |
| 6Minnesota | $65,410 | $66,325 | 140 |
| 7North Carolina | $62,590 | $66,355 | 110 |
| 8Virginia | $61,970 | $61,293 | N/A |
| 9Georgia | $59,570 | $61,863 | 300 |
| 10Texas | $58,780 | $60,562 | 240 |
Job outlook
Is Subway and Streetcar Operator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Subway and Streetcar Operators | +3.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Subway and Streetcar Operators to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 900 openings are projected each year, 8.6% of the 10,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Subway and Streetcar Operator
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 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.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as subway and streetcar operators.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)86.5%
- Post-Secondary Certificate8.9%
- Some College Courses4.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 86.5% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 8.9% |
| Some College Courses | 4.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Subway and Streetcar Operator do?
Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. May handle fares.
Day-to-day tasks
- Operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors.
- Drive and control rail-guided public transportation, such as subways, elevated trains, and electric-powered streetcars, trams, or trolleys, to transport passengers.
- Report delays, mechanical problems, and emergencies to supervisors or dispatchers, using radios.
- Regulate vehicle speed and the time spent at each stop to maintain schedules.
- Make announcements to passengers, such as notifications of upcoming stops or schedule delays.
- Greet passengers, provide information, and answer questions concerning fares, schedules, transfers, and routings.
- Monitor lights indicating obstructions or other trains ahead and watch for car and truck traffic at crossings to stay alert to potential hazards.
- Complete reports, including shift summaries and incident or accident reports.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
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 timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very 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
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
- Active Listening3.6
- Speaking3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Writing2.8
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Operation and Control3.9
- Service Orientation3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Operation and Control | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
“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 Subway and Streetcar Operator?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Subway and Streetcar Operator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
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.
- Realistic5.9
- Conventional4.3
- Social2.8
- Enterprising2.3
- Investigative1.4
- 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 Subway and Streetcar Operator
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operator and Locomotive Firer
$68,840median a year
Most earn $46K to $87K
+0.8%High school - Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
Rail Yard Engineer, Dinkey Operator, and Hostler
$60,600median a year
Most earn $45K to $100K
+0.8%High school
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with subway and streetcar operators highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Subway and Streetcar Operator$86,380
- 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
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Subway and Streetcar Operator | $86,380 |
| 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 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Subway and Streetcar Operator appears on
Questions
Subway and Streetcar Operator: frequently asked questions
How much do Subway and Streetcar Operators make?
Subway and Streetcar Operators earn a median of $86,380 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 69% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $41.53/hr. The middle half earn between $61,980 and $90,140. The top 10% earn $90,140 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Subway and Streetcar Operator?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Subway and Streetcar Operators. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 86.5% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Subway and Streetcar Operator a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Subway and Streetcar Operator do?
Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. A core O*NET task: operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors. Employers most often ask for Office suite software.
Which states pay Subway and Streetcar Operators the most?
The highest state medians for Subway and Streetcar Operators are Maryland ($92,420), California ($78,680), Washington ($77,020) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Subway and Streetcar Operator?
O*NET scores Subway and Streetcar Operators highest on the Realistic and Conventional 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 the closest types are ISTJ, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.