Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers from 2025 to 2035 (+0.8%, about 100 more jobs), with about 900 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $68,840 a year ranks 325th of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- +0.8%
- Openings a year
- 900
- Median pay
- $68,840
- Pay rank
- 325th of 825
Is employment of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects +0.8% employment change for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers from 2025 to 2035 (about 100 more 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 | 10,700 |
| Employment, 2035 | 10,800 |
| Projected change | +0.8% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 900 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 10,700 jobs here differ from the 12,400 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 900 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 679th most of 830 occupations. About 99% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 10 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers rank?
The median of $68,840 a year ranks 325th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locomotive Engineers | +0.5% | 2,000 | $81,410 |
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | +0.8% | 300 | $60,600 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | +0.9% | 3,000 | $78,000 |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | +0.2% | 300 | $56,450 |
| Subway and Streetcar Operators | +3.7% | 900 | $86,380 |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | +2.8% | 1,300 | $58,870 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | +1.5% | 64,700 | $46,420 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | +3.8% | 214,500 | $58,640 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.