Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.
Also called: Brakeman · Carman · Fireman · Locomotive Switch Operator · Railroad Brakeman · Railroad Switchman
Median pay (national)
$65,480
$43,750–$80,840 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
12,460
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+1%
~1,000 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $80,840 versus $43,750 at the bottom 10% — 1.8x. The median of $65,480 leaves roughly 23% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +1% from 2024 to 2034 — slower than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 24 states with released data, Massachusetts pays the most for this role (median $97,690, +49% vs the national median), while North Carolina sits lowest at $36,290 — a 169% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Google Android, Microsoft Office software as in-demand technologies for this role.
Tailor your resume to Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Honest tailoring
See how your resume lines up with Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Refit re-angles your real experience toward this role using the skills above — and never invents skills you don't have. A no-fabrication gate checks every change before you see it.
Free. No account needed to see your first re-fit.
Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
- Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
- Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
- Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
- Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
- Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
- Observe tracks from left sides of locomotives to detect obstructions on tracks.
- Operate locomotives in emergency situations.
- Raise levers to couple and uncouple cars for makeup and breakup of trains.
- Climb ladders to tops of cars to set brakes.
Tools & technology
- Google Android
- Microsoft Office software
- Electronic train management system software
- Electronic train management systems ETMS
- Route mapping software
- Time tracking software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
Knowledge areas
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Education and Training
- Telecommunications