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Train operator salary
Average train operator salary
$39,189
Average Train Operator Salary
The average salary for a Train Operator in the United States is approximately $39,189 annually, or around $19 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and specific employer. For instance, entry-level positions may earn less, while seasoned professionals can command higher wages due to their expertise.
Salary by Experience Level
Experience plays a crucial role in determining salary. Entry-level Train Operators typically earn around $30,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $50,000. This growth reflects the increasing responsibilities and skill development inherent in the role.
Regional Salary Variations
Geographic location also influences earnings. States with high demand for rail services, such as California and New York, often offer higher salaries compared to others. Understanding these regional differences can help prospective employees target their job search effectively.
Conclusion
As a Train Operator, knowing the salary landscape is vital for making informed career decisions. By understanding how factors like experience and location affect pay, you can better negotiate your salary and plan your career path.
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Where can a Train Operator earn more?
Train operator salaries by experience level
Train operator salary estimates from across the web
Average train operator salary by state
The highest-paying states for train operators are Virginia, New York, and Connecticut. The lowest average train operator salary states are Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for train operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $46,463 | $22.34 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $49,747 | $23.92 |
| 3 | Virginia | $52,304 | $25.15 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $48,642 | $23.39 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $47,802 | $22.98 |
| 6 | Nebraska | $45,795 | $22.02 |
| 7 | Kansas | $44,760 | $21.52 |
| 8 | Montana | $45,490 | $21.87 |
| 9 | Iowa | $42,740 | $20.55 |
| 10 | New York | $51,772 | $24.89 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $43,386 | $20.86 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $51,257 | $24.64 |
| 13 | California | $51,179 | $24.61 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $39,744 | $19.11 |
| 15 | Michigan | $41,512 | $19.96 |
| 16 | Illinois | $44,148 | $21.23 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $43,681 | $21.00 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $39,228 | $18.86 |
| 19 | Delaware | $42,873 | $20.61 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $39,976 | $19.22 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $43,403 | $20.87 |
| 22 | Maine | $40,340 | $19.39 |
| 23 | Colorado | $43,743 | $21.03 |
| 24 | Washington | $45,077 | $21.67 |
| 25 | Alaska | $38,504 | $18.51 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $39,179 | $18.84 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $40,844 | $19.64 |
| 28 | Texas | $38,663 | $18.59 |
| 29 | Maryland | $44,806 | $21.54 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $37,561 | $18.06 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $36,465 | $17.53 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $38,158 | $18.35 |
| 33 | Utah | $35,398 | $17.02 |
| 34 | Alabama | $35,030 | $16.84 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $36,503 | $17.55 |
| 36 | Vermont | $38,488 | $18.50 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $36,588 | $17.59 |
| 38 | Oregon | $37,319 | $17.94 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $35,868 | $17.24 |
| 40 | Missouri | $33,652 | $16.18 |
| 41 | Georgia | $34,746 | $16.70 |
| 42 | Indiana | $34,418 | $16.55 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $28,672 | $13.78 |
| 44 | Idaho | $34,206 | $16.45 |
| 45 | Arizona | $32,531 | $15.64 |
| 46 | Florida | $34,682 | $16.67 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $27,666 | $13.30 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $32,605 | $15.68 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $26,988 | $12.97 |
| 50 | Ohio | $31,331 | $15.06 |
| 51 | Nevada | $32,457 | $15.60 |
Highest paying cities for train operators
The highest-paying cities for train operators are Alameda, CA, Alexandria, VA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alameda, CA | $53,788 | $25.86 |
| 2 | Alexandria, VA | $53,505 | $25.72 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $51,916 | $24.96 |
| 4 | Bridgeport, CT | $51,403 | $24.71 |
| 5 | Oakdale, MN | $48,737 | $23.43 |
| 6 | Leavenworth, KS | $45,241 | $21.75 |
| 7 | Bozeman, MT | $44,878 | $21.58 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $44,358 | $21.33 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $43,801 | $21.06 |
| 10 | Kailua, HI | $43,792 | $21.05 |
| 11 | Council Bluffs, IA | $41,803 | $20.10 |
| 12 | San Antonio, TX | $38,795 | $18.65 |
| 13 | Mount Juliet, TN | $36,757 | $17.67 |
| 14 | Tampa, FL | $34,886 | $16.77 |
| 15 | Douglasville, GA | $34,719 | $16.69 |
| 16 | Greenwood, IN | $34,177 | $16.43 |
| 17 | Twin Falls, ID | $33,804 | $16.25 |
| 18 | Green Bay, WI | $33,135 | $15.93 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $32,525 | $15.64 |
| 20 | Las Vegas, NV | $32,284 | $15.52 |
Train operator salary details
A train operator's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $55,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a train operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 75th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| Average | $39,189 | $3,266 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying train operator jobs
The highest paying types of train operators are senior technician specialist, lead operator, and senior training specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epic Credentialed Trainer | $75,929 | $6,327 | $36.50 | 41,467 |
| Corporate Trainer | $58,803 | $4,900 | $28.27 | 52,090 |
| Training Consultant | $56,760 | $4,730 | $27.29 | 52,054 |
| Field Trainer | $47,009 | $3,917 | $22.60 | 86,060 |
| Team Trainer | $31,576 | $2,631 | $15.18 | 54,150 |
| Training Developer | $62,974 | $5,248 | $30.28 | 108,369 |
Top companies hiring train operators now:
Which companies pay train operators the most?
Train operator salaries at American Water and DCP Midstream are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average train operator salary at companies like ABB and Jacobs Engineering Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Water | $58,799 | $28.27 |
| 2 | DCP Midstream | $57,285 | $27.54 |
| 3 | ABB | $56,034 | $26.94 |
| 4 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $49,619 | $23.86 |
| 5 | Avery Dennison | $48,769 | $23.45 |
| 6 | UPS | $47,961 | $23.06 |
| 7 | Steris | $47,887 | $23.02 |
| 8 | Northrop Grumman | $47,608 | $22.89 |
| 9 | Generac Holdings | $45,799 | $22.02 |
| 10 | Brady | $43,965 | $21.14 |
| 11 | Belcan | $43,939 | $21.12 |
| 12 | ALN Medical Management, LLC | $43,444 | $20.89 |
| 13 | CGB Enterprises | $43,416 | $20.87 |
| 14 | Lockheed Martin | $42,798 | $20.58 |
| 15 | ADM | $42,495 | $20.43 |
| 16 | Con Edison | $42,245 | $20.31 |
| 17 | RRD | $41,479 | $19.94 |
| 18 | Epcor Utilities, Inc. | $41,398 | $19.90 |
| 19 | Genesis Financial Solutions, Inc. | $41,397 | $19.90 |
| 20 | Alstom | $41,367 | $19.89 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Train Operator salary by industry
The average train operator salary varies across industries:
- The average train operator salary in the transportation industry is $43,593, the highest of any industry.
- The average train operator salary in the finance industry is $42,232.
- Train operators in the insurance industry earn an average salary of $36,697, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for train operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation | $43,593 | $20.96 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $42,232 | $20.30 |
| 3 | Retail | $40,765 | $19.60 |
| 4 | Technology | $40,491 | $19.47 |
| 5 | Media | $40,243 | $19.35 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $38,289 | $18.41 |
| 7 | Insurance | $36,697 | $17.64 |
High paying train operator jobs
Train operator salary trends
The average train operator salary has risen by $4,719 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average train operator earned $34,470 annually, but today, they earn $39,189 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for train operators over the last decade.
Compare train operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average train operator salary over time
Compare train operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Train operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,200 | $18.84 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $38,300 | $18.39 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | $38,000 | $18.29 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | $37,700 | $18.14 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $36,900 | $17.74 | +1.4% |
Recently added train operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics | Operations Trainer (TWI) | Rochester, NY | 06/26/2025 | $80,000 |
| Quidelortho Corporation | Operations Trainer (TWI) | Rochester, NY | 06/24/2025 | $80,000 |
| Veolia | Operator In Training | Lambertville, NJ | 06/22/2025 | $47,166 |
| Atlas Companies | Operator Trainer | Bedford Park, IL | 06/22/2025 | $55,000 |
| Dpr Gp | Operations Trainer | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/22/2025 | $63,000 |
| Veolia North America | Operator In Training | Lambertville, NJ | 06/21/2025 | $47,166 |
| DPR Construction | Operations Trainer | Denver, CO | 06/20/2025 | $63,000 |
| American Water | Operator In Training Oe3H | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/18/2025 | $59,563 |
| PSEG | District Operator In Training | Hicksville, NY | 06/18/2025 | $114,764 |
| American 1 Credit Union | Teller Trainer/Operations Trainer | Jackson, MI | 06/16/2025 | $49,045 |
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