The salary statistics of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The railroad brake, signal, and switch operators 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 | $34,610 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $45,170 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $57,260 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $72,620 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $85,590 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) railroad brake, signal, and switch operators is $85,590. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $57,260. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $34,610. Notice that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 147% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators from 2012 to 2018.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 6-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $57,260 | 0.00% | 10.34% |
| 2017 | $57,260 | 1.21% | - |
| 2016 | $56,570 | 4.51% | - |
| 2015 | $54,020 | 3.07% | - |
| 2014 | $52,360 | 2.90% | - |
| 2013 | $50,840 | -0.98% | - |
| 2012 | $51,340 | - | - |
The average salaries of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators in 4 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 railroad brake, signal, and switch operators occupations is the federal, state, and local government sector with an annual salary $69,910. The lowest paying sector is the wholesale trade sector (annual salary $48,490).
| Industry Sector | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Federal, State, and Local Government | |
| Transportation and Warehousing | |
| Manufacturing | |
| Wholesale Trade |
From the above tables we note that not only railroad brake, signal, and switch operators 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 railroad brake, signal, and switch operators in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $36,270 to $73,930. The highest paying state for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators is South Carolina with a median annual salary of $73,930. The lowest paying state is Florida with a median annual salary of $36,270. For more salary information of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.