Light rail operator vs trolley operator

The differences between light rail operators and trolley operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a light rail operator has an average salary of $42,958, which is higher than the $37,590 average annual salary of a trolley operator.

The top three skills for a light rail operator include switches, DOT and emergency situations. The most important skills for a trolley operator are pre-trip, trolleys, and CDL.

Light rail operator vs trolley operator overview

	Light Rail Operator	Trolley Operator
Yearly salary	$42,958	$37,590
Hourly rate	$20.65	$18.07
Growth rate	4%	5%
Number of jobs	33,553	30,015
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

Light rail operator vs trolley operator salary

Light rail operators and trolley operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Light Rail Operator	Trolley Operator
Average salary	$42,958	$37,590
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $76,000	Between $25,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between light rail operator and trolley operator education

There are a few differences between a light rail operator and a trolley operator in terms of educational background:

	Light Rail Operator	Trolley Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Light rail operator vs trolley operator demographics

Here are the differences between light rail operators' and trolley operators' demographics:

	Light Rail Operator	Trolley Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%	Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 5.7% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 16.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 5.7% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	21%	21%

Differences between light rail operator and trolley operator duties and responsibilities

Light rail operator example responsibilities.

Operate switches through controls or manually; performs operations necessary to restore movement by trouble-shooting problem conditions.
Comply with all rules & regulations including knowledge of signals, speed & switches.
Monitor rail station CCTV equipment.

Trolley operator example responsibilities.

Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Oversee all transit mode operations for para-transit.services.

Light rail operator vs trolley operator skills

Common light rail operator skills

Switches, 27%
DOT, 19%
Emergency Situations, 19%
Customer Inquiries, 8%
FCC, 7%
Mechanical Problems, 6%

Common trolley operator skills

Pre-trip, 34%
Trolleys, 29%
CDL, 24%
Transport Passengers, 8%
Mobility Aids, 5%

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Transportation Industry
Light Rail Operator
Light Rail Operator vs Trolley Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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