Best states for a freight conductor

Q: What is the best state for freight conductors?

The best state to be a freight conductor is Utah based on freight conductor salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for freight conductors?

The highest paying state for freight conductors is Colorado based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for freight conductors?

The worst state for freight conductors is Colorado, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Freight conductor opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for freight conductors, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for freight conductors.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for freight conductors. We found that Utah is the best state in the nation for freight conductors, and people in Grants Pass earn the most in the field.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for freight conductors.We found that Utah is the best state for freight conductor jobs, whereas Colorado is the worst.

10 best states for freight conductors in 2025

1. Utah
Total freight conductor jobs: 77
Average annual salary: $71,327
Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000
Location Quotient:
1.22
Freight conductor jobs in Utah
2. Oregon
Total freight conductor jobs: 94
Average annual salary: $75,667
Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Freight conductor jobs in Oregon
3. Wyoming
Total freight conductor jobs: 17
Average annual salary: $66,198
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000
Location Quotient:
1.44
Freight conductor jobs in Wyoming
4. Iowa
Total freight conductor jobs: 57
Average annual salary: $71,921
Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000
Location Quotient:
0.79
Freight conductor jobs in Iowa
5. Rhode Island
Total freight conductor jobs: 24
Average annual salary: $65,964
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000
Location Quotient:
1
Freight conductor jobs in Rhode Island
6. New Hampshire
Total freight conductor jobs: 39
Average annual salary: $65,159
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
1.13
Freight conductor jobs in New Hampshire
7. Nevada
Total freight conductor jobs: 29
Average annual salary: $68,937
Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000
Location Quotient:
0.7
Freight conductor jobs in Nevada
8. Connecticut
Total freight conductor jobs: 84
Average annual salary: $65,768
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000
Location Quotient:
1.28
Freight conductor jobs in Connecticut
9. Alaska
Total freight conductor jobs: 14
Average annual salary: $73,783
Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000
Location Quotient:
0.85
Freight conductor jobs in Alaska
10. North Dakota
Total freight conductor jobs: 8
Average annual salary: $71,363
Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000
Location Quotient:
0.44
Freight conductor jobs in North Dakota

Freight conductor jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a freight conductor

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a freight conductor

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Utah	$71,327	$52,000	3,101,833	77
2	Oregon	$75,667	$55,000	4,142,776	94
3	Wyoming	$66,198	$50,000	579,315	17
4	Iowa	$71,921	$54,000	3,145,711	57
5	Rhode Island	$65,964	$46,000	1,059,639	24
6	New Hampshire	$65,159	$46,000	1,342,795	39
7	Nevada	$68,937	$48,000	2,998,039	29
8	Connecticut	$65,768	$46,000	3,588,184	84
9	Alaska	$73,783	$65,000	739,795	14
10	North Dakota	$71,363	$56,000	755,393	8
11	Minnesota	$66,862	$51,000	5,576,606	110
12	Pennsylvania	$61,432	$43,000	12,805,537	444
13	Louisiana	$63,144	$44,000	4,684,333	67
14	Michigan	$60,762	$45,000	9,962,311	200
15	Oklahoma	$61,118	$46,000	3,930,864	72
16	California	$70,151	$48,000	39,536,653	532
17	Arizona	$64,336	$46,000	7,016,270	101
18	Arkansas	$62,232	$46,000	3,004,279	46
19	Tennessee	$60,820	$45,000	6,715,984	122
20	Idaho	$61,694	$45,000	1,716,943	39
21	Ohio	$60,222	$44,000	11,658,609	239
22	Illinois	$63,283	$47,000	12,802,023	241
23	Washington	$65,022	$48,000	7,405,743	147
24	Vermont	$64,285	$45,000	623,657	14
25	New Mexico	$64,041	$47,000	2,088,070	21
26	Texas	$63,048	$44,000	28,304,596	357
27	Massachusetts	$65,720	$46,000	6,859,819	108
28	Missouri	$61,645	$46,000	6,113,532	111
29	Delaware	$64,494	$45,000	961,939	17
30	Georgia	$59,920	$43,000	10,429,379	260
31	Kansas	$59,716	$45,000	2,913,123	62
32	Maine	$58,837	$41,000	1,335,907	38
33	Montana	$60,088	$47,000	1,050,493	22
34	Nebraska	$61,533	$46,000	1,920,076	19
35	New Jersey	$58,041	$40,000	9,005,644	271
36	Florida	$61,740	$42,000	20,984,400	261
37	West Virginia	$59,921	$43,000	1,815,857	17
38	Maryland	$60,324	$42,000	6,052,177	136
39	Wisconsin	$60,209	$45,000	5,795,483	88
40	Kentucky	$59,861	$44,000	4,454,189	49
41	Virginia	$62,723	$44,000	8,470,020	121
42	Hawaii	$59,431	$51,000	1,427,538	15
43	Alabama	$57,655	$41,000	4,874,747	85
44	Indiana	$59,437	$44,000	6,666,818	101
45	South Dakota	$58,576	$45,000	869,666	11
46	District of Columbia	$63,428	$44,000	693,972	3
47	New York	$54,253	$38,000	19,849,399	319
48	Mississippi	$54,995	$40,000	2,984,100	38
49	South Carolina	$56,504	$39,000	5,024,369	71
50	North Carolina	$57,590	$40,000	10,273,419	115
51	Colorado	$50,833	$38,000	5,607,154	112

Highest paying states for freight conductors

Rank	State	Avg. Freight Conductor Salary
1	Utah	$71,327
2	Oregon	$75,667
3	Wyoming	$66,198
4	Iowa	$71,921
5	Rhode Island	$65,964
6	New Hampshire	$65,159
7	Nevada	$68,937
8	Connecticut	$65,768
9	Alaska	$73,783
10	North Dakota	$71,363
11	Minnesota	$66,862
12	Pennsylvania	$61,432
13	Louisiana	$63,144
14	Michigan	$60,762
15	Oklahoma	$61,118
16	California	$70,151
17	Arizona	$64,336
18	Arkansas	$62,232
19	Tennessee	$60,820
20	Idaho	$61,694
21	Ohio	$60,222
22	Illinois	$63,283
23	Washington	$65,022
24	Vermont	$64,285
25	New Mexico	$64,041
26	Texas	$63,048
27	Massachusetts	$65,720
28	Missouri	$61,645
29	Delaware	$64,494
30	Georgia	$59,920
31	Kansas	$59,716
32	Maine	$58,837
33	Montana	$60,088
34	Nebraska	$61,533
35	New Jersey	$58,041
36	Florida	$61,740
37	West Virginia	$59,921
38	Maryland	$60,324
39	Wisconsin	$60,209
40	Kentucky	$59,861
41	Virginia	$62,723
42	Hawaii	$59,431
43	Alabama	$57,655
44	Indiana	$59,437
45	South Dakota	$58,576
46	District of Columbia	$63,428
47	New York	$54,253
48	Mississippi	$54,995
49	South Carolina	$56,504
50	North Carolina	$57,590
51	Colorado	$50,833

Freight conductor best states FAQs

What is the best state for freight conductors?

What is the highest paying state for freight conductors?

What is the worst state for freight conductors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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Best states for Freight Conductors

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs

Total freight conductor jobs:	77
Average annual salary:	$71,327
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$52,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$96,000
Location Quotient:	1.22

Best states for a freight conductor

10 best states for freight conductors in 2025

1. Utah

2. Oregon

3. Wyoming

4. Iowa

5. Rhode Island

6. New Hampshire

7. Nevada

8. Connecticut

9. Alaska

10. North Dakota