Career profile · 53-4022
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.
What the work can involve
- Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
- Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
- Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
- Raise levers to couple and uncouple cars for makeup and breakup of trains.
- Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
- Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Getting Information
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
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.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Contact with others most of the time | 50.7%08/2026 · sample 17 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 79.2%08/2026 · sample 15 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Every day | 27.5%08/2026 · sample 16 |
| Spend Time Standing | More than half the time | 38.0%08/2026 · sample 16 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 67.1%08/2026 · sample 17 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 72.5%08/2026 · sample 17 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 99.3%08/2026 · sample 16 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 50.6%08/2026 · sample 17 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Data base user interface and query software: Electronic train management system software
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Expert system software: Electronic train management systems ETMS
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Google Android
- Route navigation software: Route mapping software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Time accounting software: Time tracking software
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
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 24 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $56,050 | $26.95 | 240 |
| California | $58,770 | $28.25 | 1,340 |
| Colorado | $76,140 | $36.60 | Not published |
| Florida | $58,250 | $28.00 | 130 |
| Georgia | $75,540 | $36.32 | 250 |
| Illinois | $76,290 | $36.68 | 1,210 |
| Indiana | $64,530 | $31.02 | 160 |
| Iowa | $80,910 | $38.90 | 220 |
| Kansas | $66,990 | $32.21 | 390 |
| Kentucky | $56,410 | $27.12 | 170 |
| Louisiana | $54,260 | $26.09 | 210 |
| Maryland | $79,180 | $38.07 | 100 |
| Michigan | $66,970 | $32.20 | 190 |
| Missouri | $67,110 | $32.26 | 730 |
| New Jersey | $74,160 | $35.65 | 70 |
| New Mexico | $72,340 | $34.78 | 100 |
| New York | $83,530 | $40.16 | 220 |
| North Carolina | $54,810 | $26.35 | 110 |
| Ohio | $67,770 | $32.58 | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,470 | $26.67 | 350 |
| Texas | $71,580 | $34.41 | 1,650 |
| Washington | $85,140 | $40.93 | 740 |
| West Virginia | $46,900 | $22.55 | 120 |
| Wyoming | $45,490 | $21.87 | 400 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 7 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 Transportation Workers, All Other→
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers→
- 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: 53-4022.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.