How much does a rail yard engineer make?

In the United States, experience, the employer, location, and the kind of yard work can all affect pay; training and engineer certification can also shape which jobs you can do. Yards run day and night, so hours and night or weekend shifts matter, and senior workers often get first choice of shifts.

Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.

What's a typical day like?

They inspect the engine, read the switching plan, then use radios and signals to move it and couple or uncouple railcars. They watch switches, report completed moves, and, as hostlers, may take engines to or from repair shops.

In the U.S., finish high school/GED and apply to a railroad for on-the-job training; BLS gives no usual starting age. Covered locomotive jobs require railroad training and written and skills tests for certification.

High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

At a U.S. hump yard, a locomotive pushes railcars over a small hill; gravity rolls them to sorting tracks, while track brakes slow them safely.