53
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers is a notable career in the 53 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 53-4022 |
| title | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers |
| onet code | 53-4022.00 |
| description | Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 53 |
| tot emp | 12,460 |
| a mean | 63,170 |
| a median | 65,480 |
| a pct10 | 43,750 |
| a pct25 | 51,730 |
| a pct75 | 70,130 |
| a pct90 | 80,840 |
| h mean | 30 |
| h median | 31 |
The day-to-day work of a railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers typically centers on observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, and Operation and Control. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.17 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Median annual pay is highest in Massachusetts at $97,690 and lowest in North Carolina at $36,290 — a 2.7× spread. The top five states (Massachusetts, New Jersey, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas) average $79,024. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $97,690 | $87,660 | $66,560 | $104,000 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $79,990 | $73,560 | $57,620 | $80,010 | 90 |
| Iowa | $77,150 | $71,390 | $50,370 | $80,030 | 330 |
| Nebraska | $70,450 | $69,100 | $55,170 | $75,160 | 350 |
| Texas | $69,840 | $60,270 | $38,890 | $70,130 | 2,050 |
| Colorado | $69,040 | $66,880 | $47,800 | $84,330 | 250 |
| Maryland | $66,680 | $69,440 | $44,870 | $102,390 | 90 |
| Missouri | $65,480 | $65,100 | $65,430 | $65,520 | 540 |
| Kansas | $65,370 | $64,050 | $65,130 | $65,370 | 460 |
| New Mexico | $65,240 | $66,590 | $49,410 | $81,020 | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $65,150 | $63,070 | $50,340 | $65,170 | 90 |
| Florida | $64,290 | $59,440 | $42,410 | $68,600 | 170 |
| West Virginia | $62,480 | $63,220 | $40,040 | $79,350 | 110 |
| Indiana | $61,650 | $61,020 | $54,700 | $71,850 | — |
| Washington | $61,210 | $69,700 | $59,210 | $78,000 | 390 |
| Illinois | $60,130 | $64,790 | $46,210 | $85,040 | 1,410 |
| Mississippi | $59,690 | $55,790 | $30,770 | $76,850 | 50 |
| California | $57,720 | $60,770 | $50,560 | $68,300 | 1,200 |
| Kentucky | $56,090 | $56,990 | $52,810 | $62,160 | 260 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,990 | $49,340 | $31,370 | $70,840 | 360 |
| Alabama | $48,460 | $52,260 | $42,820 | $60,630 | 300 |
| Wyoming | $48,420 | $50,800 | $38,800 | $68,370 | 350 |
| Ohio | $48,410 | $50,890 | $48,210 | $56,890 | 140 |
| North Carolina | $36,290 | $51,640 | $35,410 | $81,800 | 50 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Air Brake Operator or Air Hose Coupler frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers compares to others in the 53 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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