Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Metro

The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pay distribution spans from $40,060 at the 10th percentile to $63,370 at the 90th, a 1.6× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $46,720 and the 75th at $57,820, so half of Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands-based railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide TX estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.