Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pay in the U.S.
$69,030avg. a year
$33.19 an hour · 12,400 employed
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers in the U.S. earn an average of $69,030 a year and a median of $68,840. Pay is highest in New York ($84,240) and lowest in Wyoming ($50,690).
$68,840Median pay
$33.19Average hourly
+24%Avg. pay since 2020
12,400Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1220 jobs
New York
$84,240
$40.50 an hour
2740 jobs
Washington
$81,560
$39.21 an hour
3
Colorado
$81,040
$38.96 an hour
4250 jobs
Georgia
$79,450
$38.20 an hour
5220 jobs
Iowa
$74,180
$35.66 an hour
61,210 jobs
Illinois
$74,110
$35.63 an hour
7100 jobs
Maryland
$73,400
$35.29 an hour
870 jobs
New Jersey
$70,530
$33.91 an hour
9190 jobs
Michigan
$69,830
$33.57 an hour
10160 jobs
Indiana
$68,940
$33.15 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $58k$58k–$67k$67k–$74k$74k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $70,790 | $34.03 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $51,870 | $24.94 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,350 | $56,050 | 240 |
| California | $61,530 | $58,770 | 1,340 |
| Colorado | $81,040 | $76,140 | – |
| Florida | $57,380 | $58,250 | 130 |
| Georgia | $79,450 | $75,540 | 250 |
| Illinois | $74,110 | $76,290 | 1,210 |
| Indiana | $68,940 | $64,530 | 160 |
| Iowa | $74,180 | $80,910 | 220 |
| Kansas | $66,080 | $66,990 | 390 |
| Kentucky | $58,440 | $56,410 | 170 |
| Louisiana | $53,810 | $54,260 | 210 |
| Maryland | $73,400 | $79,180 | 100 |
| Michigan | $69,830 | $66,970 | 190 |
| Missouri | $66,640 | $67,110 | 730 |
| New Jersey | $70,530 | $74,160 | 70 |
| New Mexico | $68,780 | $72,340 | 100 |
| New York | $84,240 | $83,530 | 220 |
| North Carolina | $57,300 | $54,810 | 110 |
| Ohio | $61,930 | $67,770 | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,360 | $55,470 | 350 |
| Texas | $61,300 | $71,580 | 1,650 |
| Washington | $81,560 | $85,140 | 740 |
| West Virginia | $54,280 | $46,900 | 120 |
| Wyoming | $50,690 | $45,490 | 400 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$70,790
560 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$51,870
270 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers make?
The average is $69,030 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $68,840 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $33.19, and the median is $33.10 an hour.
Which state pays railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers the most?
New York, with an average of $84,240 a year. The best-paying metro area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $70,790.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $45,660 a year, and the top 10% earn over $86,590.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-4022. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.