Subway and Streetcar Operators
Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. May handle fares.
Also called: Combined Rail Operator · Light Rail Operator · Light Rail Train Operator · Light Rail Vehicle Operator (LRV Operator) · Rail Operator · Rapid Transit Operator (RTO)
Median pay (national)
$84,830
$52,260–$87,940 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
9,200
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.4%
~900 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for subway and streetcar operators shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $87,940 versus $52,260 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $84,830 leaves roughly 4% 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 +3.4% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 9 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $86,750, +2% vs the national median), while Texas sits lowest at $57,200 — a 52% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Report delays, mechanical problems, and emergencies to supervisors or dispatchers, using radios.
- Regulate vehicle speed and the time spent at each stop to maintain schedules.
- Make announcements to passengers, such as notifications of upcoming stops or schedule delays.
- Greet passengers, provide information, and answer questions concerning fares, schedules, transfers, and routings.
- Monitor lights indicating obstructions or other trains ahead and watch for car and truck traffic at crossings to stay alert to potential hazards.
- Operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors.
- Drive and control rail-guided public transportation, such as subways, elevated trains, and electric-powered streetcars, trams, or trolleys, to transport passengers.
- Complete reports, including shift summaries and incident or accident reports.
- Attend meetings on driver and passenger safety to learn ways in which job performance might be affected.
- Direct emergency evacuation procedures.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Office software
Knowledge areas
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Telecommunications
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management