Locomotive Engineers Salary
Locomotive Engineers in Missouri make a median of $78,820 a year, or about $37.9 an hour. The range runs from $79K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.97), which stretches that salary to about $88,592 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,097/month, or 21.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Missouri. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $79K actually covers in Missouri, month by month
About locomotive engineers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Missouri
Locomotive engineers pay in Missouri tracks closely to the national median, $79K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,097/month, 21.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missouri
Entry-level locomotive engineers (10th percentile) start around $79K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $290 spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track locomotive engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Missouri numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a locomotive engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missouri?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 21.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,097/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for locomotive engineers in Missouri?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new locomotive engineers typically earn — is $79K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,068/month. At HUD’s $1,097/month FMR, rent would take 22% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is locomotive engineer a high-paying job in Missouri?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $79K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Missouri compare to the national average for locomotive engineers?
Missouri pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do locomotive engineers make in Missouri?
The median is $78,820 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,750, and experienced locomotive engineers can clear $79,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Missouri?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,072/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,097/month, which eats 21.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a locomotive engineers salary go in Missouri?
Missouri has a Regional Price Parity of 88.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median locomotive engineers salary is worth about $88,592 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do locomotive engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.