Freight conductor vs railroad conductor

The differences between freight conductors and railroad conductors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a railroad conductor has an average salary of $58,338, which is higher than the $57,998 average annual salary of a freight conductor.

The top three skills for a freight conductor include switches, FRA and rail cars. The most important skills for a railroad conductor are switches, rail cars, and FRA.

Freight conductor vs railroad conductor overview

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Conductor
Yearly salary	$57,998	$58,338
Hourly rate	$27.88	$28.05
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	6,636	547
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Freight conductor vs railroad conductor salary

Freight conductors and railroad conductors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Conductor
Average salary	$57,998	$58,338
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $82,000	Between $40,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	CSX	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between freight conductor and railroad conductor education

There are a few differences between a freight conductor and a railroad conductor in terms of educational background:

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Conductor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Freight conductor vs railroad conductor demographics

Here are the differences between freight conductors' and railroad conductors' demographics:

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Conductor
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 2.0% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 2.0% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between freight conductor and railroad conductor duties and responsibilities

Freight conductor example responsibilities.

Provide excellent leadership by training new conductors in railroad rules and regulations, while simultaneously managing the train yard.
Instruct and assist train crews in coupling/uncoupling cars, operate switches, and implement minor repairs to rail cars.
Assist co-workers to couple and uncouple cars, throw track switches, or other activities involve in switching railroad cars.
Make sure train consist is correct within CSX system database.
Train and educate new employees about BNSF rules and policies.
Monitor corrosive and combustible materials, broad knowledge of all HAZMAT procedures.

Railroad conductor example responsibilities.

Travel from terminal to terminal by rail while strictly adhering to all FRA rules and regulations.
Inspect locomotives after runs to detect damage and defective equipment.
Project problem solving and analysis skills to maintain interaction with coworkers and supervisors.
Follow all GCOR and SOI rules with no injuries.
Project problem solving and analysis skills to maintain interaction with coworkers and supervisors.

Freight conductor vs railroad conductor skills

Common freight conductor skills

Switches, 15%
FRA, 15%
Rail Cars, 14%
Federal Regulations, 8%
Hand Signals, 7%
CSX, 6%

Common railroad conductor skills

Switches, 16%
Rail Cars, 13%
FRA, 13%
Air Brakes, 9%
Locomotives, 7%
Hand Signals, 5%

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Freight Conductor
Freight Conductor vs Railroad Conductor

Updated January 8, 2025

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