Freight conductor vs railroad dispatcher

The differences between freight conductors and railroad dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a freight conductor has an average salary of $57,998, which is higher than the $39,504 average annual salary of a railroad dispatcher.

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

Freight conductor vs railroad dispatcher overview

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$57,998	$39,504
Hourly rate	$27.88	$18.99
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	6,636	4,224
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	-	2

Freight conductor vs railroad dispatcher salary

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

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Dispatcher
Average salary	$57,998	$39,504
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $82,000	Between $28,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	CSX	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between freight conductor and railroad dispatcher education

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

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Freight conductor vs railroad dispatcher demographics

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

	Freight Conductor	Railroad Dispatcher
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3%	Male, 68.4% Female, 31.6%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.8% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between freight conductor and railroad dispatcher 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 dispatcher example responsibilities.

Direct inbound and outbound logistics operations, such as transportation and warehouse activities, safety performance, and logistics quality management.
Follow all GCOR and SOI rules with no injuries.

Freight conductor vs railroad dispatcher skills

Common freight conductor skills

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

Common railroad dispatcher skills

Locomotives, 55%
Train Crews, 45%

Freight Conductor vs. similar jobs

Freight Conductor related careers

Freight Conductor related jobs

What similar roles do

Conductor responsibilities

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Freight Conductor
Freight Conductor vs Railroad Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs