Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers from 2025 to 2035 (+0.8%, near 3,600 jobs), with about 300 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $60,600 a year ranks 419th of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- +0.8%
- Openings a year
- 300
- Median pay
- $60,600
- Pay rank
- 419th of 825
Is employment of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects +0.8% employment change for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers from 2025 to 2035, near 3,600 jobs, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +4.3% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 50 transportation and material moving occupations with a projection. That change ranks 561st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 3,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 3,600 |
| Projected change | +0.8% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 300 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 3,500 jobs here differ from the 3,920 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 300 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 775th most of 830 occupations. All of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force, since BLS projects no net new jobs.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers rank?
The median of $60,600 a year ranks 419th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the lower half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | +0.8% | 900 | $68,840 |
| Locomotive Engineers | +0.5% | 2,000 | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | +0.9% | 3,000 | $78,000 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | +1.5% | 64,700 | $46,420 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | +3.8% | 214,500 | $58,640 |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | +2.8% | 1,300 | $58,870 |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | +0.2% | 300 | $56,450 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | +3.8% | 3,500 | $68,080 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.