Rail operator vs light rail operator

The differences between rail operators and light rail 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 $37,389 average annual salary of a rail operator.

The top three skills for a rail operator include CDL, rail cars and DOT. The most important skills for a light rail operator are switches, DOT, and emergency situations.

Rail operator vs light rail operator overview

	Rail Operator	Light Rail Operator
Yearly salary	$37,389	$42,958
Hourly rate	$17.98	$20.65
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	30,057	33,553
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

Rail operator vs light rail operator salary

Rail operators and light rail operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Rail Operator	Light Rail Operator
Average salary	$37,389	$42,958
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $54,000	Between $24,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between rail operator and light rail operator education

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

	Rail Operator	Light Rail Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Rail operator vs light rail operator demographics

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

	Rail Operator	Light Rail Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 81.3% Female, 18.8%	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	21%	21%

Differences between rail operator and light rail operator duties and responsibilities

Rail operator example responsibilities.

Operate radio system in accordance with set radio protocols and FCC regulations.
Regulate trolley speed and inspect trolleys before leaving the yard.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Maintain proper communication with management and frac crews on/off-site.

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.

Rail operator vs light rail operator skills

Common rail operator skills

CDL, 27%
Rail Cars, 22%
DOT, 20%
Safety Rules, 13%
Product Quality, 9%
Switches, 3%

Common light rail operator skills

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

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Transportation Industry
Rail Operator
Rail Operator vs Light Rail Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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