Career profile · 53-4099
Rail Transportation Workers, All Other
All rail transportation workers not listed separately.
What the work can involve
Use the full O*NET occupation profile to investigate tasks and work activities for this role.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for rail transportation workers, all other
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 6 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $60,360 | $29.02 | 230 |
| Georgia | $78,500 | $37.74 | 50 |
| New Jersey | Not published | Not published | 40 |
| Tennessee | $48,660 | $23.40 | 110 |
| Texas | $43,150 | $20.75 | 120 |
| Washington | $86,650 | $41.66 | 90 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 4 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators→
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation Workers, All Other→
- Locomotive Engineers→
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers→
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers→
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters→
- Subway and Streetcar Operators→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 53-4099.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.