Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers Salary
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers in Colorado make a median of $60,770 a year, or about $29.22 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $58,596 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 45% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Colorado. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $61K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers
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What this looks like in Colorado
Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers pay in Colorado tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,832/month, which is 45.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostler afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 45.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,639/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 50% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostler a high-paying job in Colorado?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers?
Colorado pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers make in Colorado?
The median is $60,770 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,810, and experienced rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers can clear $81,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,016/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 45.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers salary go in Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers salary is worth about $58,596 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers 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.