Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salary
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX make a median of $45,600 a year, or about $21.92 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $44,233 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,931/month, about 58.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). 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 railroad conductors and yardmasters
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What this looks like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Pay for railroad conductors and yardmasters in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington runs about 42% below the U.S. median of $78K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,931/month, which is 59.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for railroad conductors and yardmasterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for railroad conductors and yardmasters in metros near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $46K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level railroad conductors and yardmasters (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $9K spread from bottom to top.
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $102K | +31% | 310 |
| Pennsylvania | $84K | +7% | 2,750 |
| Maryland | $83K | +7% | 300 |
| Indiana | $81K | +4% | 1,720 |
| Delaware | $80K | +3% | N/A |
| New York | $80K | +3% | 6,980 |
| Virginia | $80K | +2% | 900 |
| Illinois | $80K | +2% | 2,790 |
| Florida | $80K | +2% | 760 |
| Washington | $79K | +1% | 810 |
| Michigan | $79K | +1% | 760 |
| Minnesota | $79K | +1% | 830 |
| Arizona | $78K | +0% | 460 |
| Mississippi | $78K | +0% | 440 |
| New Mexico | $78K | -0% | 400 |
| Colorado | $78K | -1% | 490 |
| Georgia | $76K | -3% | 1,740 |
| South Carolina | $74K | -6% | 420 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -8% | 790 |
| California | $70K | -10% | 1,500 |
| Texas | $69K | -12% | 4,640 |
| Kansas | $69K | -12% | 1,200 |
| Oregon | $69K | -12% | 390 |
| Wyoming | $68K | -12% | N/A |
| Missouri | $68K | -13% | 970 |
| Arkansas | $68K | -13% | 390 |
| South Dakota | $63K | -20% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $62K | -20% | 390 |
| Ohio | $61K | -21% | 1,480 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | -23% | 630 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -24% | N/A |
| West Virginia | $55K | -29% | 320 |
| Kentucky | $52K | -33% | 110 |
Showing 1–10 of 33 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track railroad conductors and yardmasters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a railroad conductors and yardmaster afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 59.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for railroad conductors and yardmasters in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new railroad conductors and yardmasters typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,725/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is railroad conductors and yardmaster a high-paying job in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Local pay runs 42% below the national median — $46K here vs. $78K nationally.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for railroad conductors and yardmasters?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -42%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do railroad conductors and yardmasters make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $45,600 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,410, and experienced railroad conductors and yardmasters can clear $54,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,223/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 59.9% 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 conductors and yardmasters salary go in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (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 conductors and yardmasters salary is worth about $44,233 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do railroad conductors and yardmasters 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.