Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 53-4013

Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

Median pay sits 26% below the mid peer in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (neighbors include Commercial Pilots, First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors, Subway and Streetcar Operators, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers: Commercial Pilots ($123K) , First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ($63K) , Subway and Streetcar Operators ($86K) , Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels ($92K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-4013 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors
  2. 2. Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation
  3. 3. Apply and release hand brakes
  4. 4. Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones
  5. 5. Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information
  6. 6. Inspect track for defects such as broken rails and switch malfunctions
  7. 7. Observe water levels and oil, air, and steam pressure gauges to ensure proper operation of equipment
  8. 8. Couple and uncouple air hoses and electrical connections between cars
  9. 9. Drive engines within railroad yards or other establishments to couple, uncouple, or switch railroad cars
  10. 10. Inspect the condition of stationary trains, rolling stock, and equipment
  11. 11. Read switching instructions and daily car schedules to determine work to be performed, or receive orders from yard conductors
  12. 12. Receive, relay, and act upon instructions and inquiries from train operations and customer service center personnel

Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 53-4013 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Transportation. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.8
  2. 2. Monitoring 3.6
  3. 3. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  4. 4. Speaking 3.5
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.4
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 3.4
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.3
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Transportation 4.2
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 3.6
  3. 3. Administration and Management 3.2
  4. 4. Mechanical 3.1
  5. 5. English Language 3.1
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 3.0
Pay vs Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers
-26%
vs mid peer median $81,410
This role $60,600/yr
$61K
National median
↑ +0%
Growth 2024-2034
200
Annual openings
3,920
Estimated US jobs
Commercial Pilots
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

1. California $67,160
2. New Jersey $71,030
3. Colorado $60,770
4. Florida $80,360
5. Ohio $59,460
6. West Virginia $91,380
7. Kentucky $62,070
8. Utah $58,380
9. Oklahoma $63,400
10. Pennsylvania $65,380

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $62,890
  2. 2. Subway and Streetcar Operators $86,380
  3. 3. Commercial Pilots $123,220
  4. 4. Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $92,460
  5. 5. Wellhead Pumpers $69,960
  6. 6. Flight Attendants $63,580

Among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers on this card, Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers sits 26% below the mid peer median ($81,410). Its own median is $60,600.

Employment Projections expect +0% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $67,160. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Commercial Pilots at $123,220. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers pay-rank #17 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Among 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations with a published OEWS median, Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers is pay-rank #17, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 53-4013 · national median $60,600 · upper third of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (#17/50). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-4013

California · top state for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

$67K published median

New Jersey · #2 state pay

$71K · behind California

Commercial Pilots

Highest-pay peer vs Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers · $123K

First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Lower-pay peer beside Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers · $63K

Compare Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

Against another occupation

Commercial Pilots card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles sit near Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers is pay-rank #17 of 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers ($62K), First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ($63K), Flight Attendants ($64K), Crane and Tower Operators ($68K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers. Leading ones include: Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors; Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation; Apply and release hand brakes; Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers? ▼
For SOC 53-4013, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.8), Monitoring (3.6), Operations Monitoring (3.6), Speaking (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $60,600 as the national median for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers. The published 10th-90th range is $44,540 to $100,270. Beside Commercial Pilots ($123,220), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers is +0%. Projected annual openings: about 200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: slower than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers? ▼
California ($67,160), New Jersey ($71,030), Colorado ($60,770) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-4013. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics