Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Transportation and Material Moving
Work happens in railroad yards, industrial plants, and aboard passenger or freight trains. The train side means signaling engineers by radio or hand to start, stop, or change speed, then talking through routes, timetables, and cargo, including detours when rails are blocked. Dispatchers and monitors report problems; records must show each car's contents and destination so cars are added, dropped, or pulled for defects at the right point. In the yard, the work is reviewing switching orders and instructing crews who couple cars, throw switches, and route inbound and outbound traffic. Suits people who like coordinating a crew from radios and written orders and keeping many pieces on time.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$78'000
Median Wage Market Position
$78'000
What you might do
- Signal engineers to start, stop, or change speed
- Direct crews switching tracks and coupling cars
- Discuss routes and cargoes with the engineer
- Take dispatcher orders on routes and schedules
- Record each car's contents and destination
- Set track switches and signals from the controls
Skills that matter
- Giving engineers start, stop, and speed-change signals
- Planning routes around defects and obstructions
- Directing crews on switching and coupling
- Logging each car's contents and destination
- Taking dispatcher orders on routes and cargo
- Arranging removal of defective cars at stops
AI & the future of this role
Scheduling tools may assist with traffic flow, but coordinating crews, resolving disruptions, and owning safety decisions remain hard to automate. In-person leadership and liability for rail operations tend to support steadier prospects.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details