Railroad conductor vs yard conductor

The differences between railroad conductors and yard 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 $54,357 average annual salary of a yard conductor.

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

Railroad conductor vs yard conductor overview

	Railroad Conductor	Yard Conductor
Yearly salary	$58,338	$54,357
Hourly rate	$28.05	$26.13
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	547	4,094
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Railroad conductor vs yard conductor salary

Railroad conductors and yard conductors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Railroad Conductor	Yard Conductor
Average salary	$58,338	$54,357
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $83,000	Between $39,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between railroad conductor and yard conductor education

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

	Railroad Conductor	Yard Conductor
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Railroad conductor vs yard conductor demographics

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

	Railroad Conductor	Yard Conductor
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 1.9% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between railroad conductor and yard conductor duties and responsibilities

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.

Yard conductor example responsibilities.

Manage all commodities, crew, safety, and efficient delivery of each assign train and while following strict FRA guidelines.
Perform hostler operations of operating locomotives between various shop locations, service tracks and switching areas.
Qualify on all NORAC rules and physical characteristics of the regional territory.

Railroad conductor vs yard conductor skills

Common railroad conductor skills

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

Common yard conductor skills

Hand Signals, 100%

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Railroad Conductor vs Yard Conductor

Updated January 8, 2025

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