Skip to content
AffordMap
Transportation

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Salary by State and Metro Area (2026)

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firerss in the United States earn a median salary of $65,480/year ($31.48/hr). Salaries range from $43,750 to $80,840 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across all 50 states and top metro areas.

$44K
10th percentile
$52K
25th percentile
$65K
Median
$70K
75th percentile
$81K
90th percentile

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers salary by state

StateMedianHourlyEmployment
Massachusetts$98K$46.97/hr140
New Jersey$80K$38.46/hr90
Iowa$77K$37.09/hr330
Nebraska$70K$33.87/hr350
Texas$70K$33.58/hr2,050
Maryland$67K$32.06/hr90
Missouri$65K$31.48/hr540
Kansas$65K$31.43/hr460
New Mexico$65K$31.37/hr140
Wisconsin$65K$31.32/hr90

Top paying metro areas

Metro areaMedianEmployment
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$108K70
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$77K50
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$61K40
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$57K600
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$54K270
How to become a railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firersCareer guide →