Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of railroad conductors and yardmasters from 2025 to 2035 (+0.9%, about 300 more jobs), with about 3,000 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $78,000 a year ranks 244th of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- +0.9%
- Openings a year
- 3,000
- Median pay
- $78,000
- Pay rank
- 244th of 825
Is employment of railroad conductors and yardmasters growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects +0.9% employment change for railroad conductors and yardmasters from 2025 to 2035 (about 300 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 557th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 38,900 |
| Employment, 2035 | 39,200 |
| Projected change | +0.9% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 3,000 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 38,900 jobs here differ from the 46,440 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 3,000 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 478th most of 830 occupations. About 99% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 30 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for railroad conductors and yardmasters rank?
The median of $78,000 a year ranks 244th 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 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | +0.8% | 900 | $68,840 |
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | +0.8% | 300 | $60,600 |
| Subway and Streetcar Operators | +3.7% | 900 | $86,380 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | +1.7% | 2,100 | $148,080 |
| Transportation Inspectors | +2.2% | 2,300 | $92,100 |
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | +9.2% | 900 | $58,170 |
| Airfield Operations Specialists | +7.8% | 1,500 | $56,850 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.