The salary statistics of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $35,340 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $48,230 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $56,340 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $66,640 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $83,390 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers is $83,390. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $56,340. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $35,340. Take note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 135% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $56,340 | -8.43% | 26.82% |
| 2021 | $61,090 | 15.34% | - |
| 2020 | $51,720 | 4.62% | - |
| 2019 | $49,330 | -6.69% | - |
| 2018 | $52,630 | 4.71% | - |
| 2017 | $50,150 | -0.64% | - |
| 2016 | $50,470 | 9.29% | - |
| 2015 | $45,780 | 4.15% | - |
| 2014 | $43,880 | 3.65% | - |
| 2013 | $42,280 | 2.48% | - |
| 2012 | $41,230 | - | - |
The average salaries of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers in 5 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers occupations is the mining sector with an annual salary $67,250. The lowest paying sector is the wholesale trade sector (annual salary $48,740).
| Industry Sector | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Mining | |
| Federal, State, and Local Government | |
| Manufacturing | |
| Transportation and Warehousing | |
| Wholesale Trade |
From the above tables we note that not only rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $24,770 to $81,550. The highest paying state for rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers is New Jersey with a median annual salary of $81,550. The lowest paying state is Pennsylvania with a median annual salary of $24,770. For more salary information of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.