Career
Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers
Move locomotives and cars in rail yards.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.
- Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation.
- Apply and release hand brakes.
- Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
- Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operation and Control, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Speaking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $60,600 a year and 300 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Railroad and Railway TransportationCIP 49.0208
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers$68,840 · +0.8%
- Locomotive Engineers$81,410 · +0.5%
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters$78,000 · +0.9%
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770 · +3.6%
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850 · +4.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.