Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers Salary
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT make a median of $61,230 a year, or about $29.44 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.87), that's roughly $60,702 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,241/month, about 30.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Salt Lake City-Murray?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salt Lake City-Murray’s Regional Price Parity (100.87). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers
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What this looks like in Salt Lake City-Murray
Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers pay in Salt Lake City-Murray tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,241/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100.87) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Entry-level rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $91K | +51% | 40 |
| Florida | $80K | +33% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $71K | +17% | 130 |
| California | $67K | +11% | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $65K | +8% | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $63K | +5% | 70 |
| Kentucky | $62K | +2% | 110 |
| Colorado | $61K | +0% | N/A |
| Ohio | $59K | -2% | N/A |
| Utah | $58K | -4% | N/A |
| Kansas | $56K | -7% | N/A |
| Indiana | $54K | -10% | 190 |
| Tennessee | $54K | -11% | 60 |
| Texas | $53K | -12% | 50 |
| Nevada | $49K | -19% | 40 |
| Alabama | $49K | -19% | 80 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -36% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 17 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Salt Lake City-Murray numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostler afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salt Lake City-Murray?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 30.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,241/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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,590/month. At HUD’s $1,241/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Salt Lake City-Murray compare to the national average for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers?
Salt Lake City-Murray pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.87), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers make in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?
The median is $61,230 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,160, and experienced rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers can clear $61,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Salt Lake City-Murray?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,033/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,241/month, which eats 30.8% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Salt Lake City-Murray has a Regional Price Parity of 100.87 (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 $60,702 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.