Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
SOC 53-4031 · 2024-2034
Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight trains. Yardmasters review train schedules and switching orders and coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains and yard switching.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -6.7%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $71,481per year
- Projected openings
- 1,120
- Projected change
- -6.7%
- 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.
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $72,357 | 410 |
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 Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $60,056 | 1,200 | 0% |
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | $53,589 | 23,150 | +5.2% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $163,584 | 2,640 | +12% |
| Transportation Inspectors | $84,817 | 2,030 | +5% |