Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
SOC 53-4022 · 2024-2034
Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $60,056per year
- Projected openings
- 1,200
- Projected change
- 0%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | Not reported | 30 |
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| The job this trains for | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locomotive Engineers | $78,757 | 1,130 | -6.3% |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $71,481 | 1,120 | -6.7% |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | $76,041 | 20,390 | +5.1% |