Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Salary
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $72,180 a year, or about $34.7 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $69,679 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 37.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $72K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). 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.
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $72K locally vs. $69K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) 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, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $85K | +24% | 740 |
| New York | $84K | +21% | 220 |
| Iowa | $81K | +18% | 220 |
| Maryland | $79K | +15% | 100 |
| Illinois | $76K | +11% | 1,210 |
| Colorado | $76K | +11% | N/A |
| Georgia | $76K | +10% | 250 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +8% | 70 |
| New Mexico | $72K | +5% | 100 |
| Texas | $72K | +4% | 1,650 |
| Ohio | $68K | -2% | 280 |
| Missouri | $67K | -3% | 730 |
| Kansas | $67K | -3% | 390 |
| Michigan | $67K | -3% | 190 |
| Indiana | $65K | -6% | 160 |
| California | $59K | -15% | 1,340 |
| Florida | $58K | -15% | 130 |
| Kentucky | $56K | -18% | 170 |
| Alabama | $56K | -19% | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $55K | -19% | 350 |
| North Carolina | $55K | -20% | 110 |
| Louisiana | $54K | -21% | 210 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -32% | 120 |
| Wyoming | $45K | -34% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,905/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firer a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $72K locally vs. $69K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $69K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $72,180 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,410, and experienced railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers can clear $86,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,633/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 38.4% 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 railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (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 railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers salary is worth about $69,679 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers 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.