Hostler vs yard hostler

The differences between hostlers and yard hostlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a hostler has an average salary of $39,313, which is higher than the $38,648 average annual salary of a yard hostler.

The top three skills for a hostler include DOT, landing gear and dock doors. The most important skills for a yard hostler are CDL, dock doors, and DOT.

Hostler vs yard hostler overview

	Hostler	Yard Hostler
Yearly salary	$39,313	$38,648
Hourly rate	$18.90	$18.58
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	1,177	3,770
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

Hostler vs yard hostler salary

Hostlers and yard hostlers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hostler	Yard Hostler
Average salary	$39,313	$38,648
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $55,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Niagara Falls, NY	Elizabeth, NJ
Highest paying state	Wisconsin	Washington
Best paying company	Ryder System	Ryder System
Best paying industry	Transportation	Transportation

Differences between hostler and yard hostler education

There are a few differences between a hostler and a yard hostler in terms of educational background:

	Hostler	Yard Hostler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Hostler vs yard hostler demographics

Here are the differences between hostlers' and yard hostlers' demographics:

	Hostler	Yard Hostler
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 93.1% Female, 6.9%	Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 1.9% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 1.9% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between hostler and yard hostler duties and responsibilities

Hostler example responsibilities.

Direct outbound train crew to locomotive departure tracks and direct inbound locomotives within mechanical facility limits to their final destination tracks.
Operate 4K and 6K forklifts to load and unload FedEx trailers and support trucks; inventory each shipment prior to departure.

Yard hostler example responsibilities.

Cut blackboard, operate skylift, forklift, bobcat, tractor.
Load double trailers and flatbeds with rock or sand using bobcat forklift.
Inspect, put trailer to dock for loading and unloading, pull trailer to lots for driver pickup
Rake leaves, cut, and water grass and pick up garbage to maintain grounds and yards.
Operate locomotives in and out of roundhouse to couple, uncouple, switch and build consist for outbound trains.
Assist in cutting grass, trimming hedges, pulling weeds, planting flowers, applying chemicals to kill weeds.

Hostler vs yard hostler skills

Common hostler skills

DOT, 29%
Landing Gear, 23%
Dock Doors, 15%
Yard Truck, 12%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Electrical Lines, 2%

Common yard hostler skills

CDL, 42%
Dock Doors, 20%
DOT, 17%
Landing Gear, 4%
Yard Truck, 3%
Spot Trailers, 3%

Updated January 8, 2025

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