Train conductor vs operator

The differences between train conductors and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a train conductor has an average salary of $58,474, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.

The top three skills for a train conductor include switches, rail cars and FRA. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Train conductor vs operator overview

	Train Conductor	Operator
Yearly salary	$58,474	$37,928
Hourly rate	$28.11	$18.23
Growth rate	4%	7%
Number of jobs	1,646	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	-	4

Train conductor vs operator salary

Train conductors and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Train Conductor	Operator
Average salary	$58,474	$37,928
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $83,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between train conductor and operator education

There are a few differences between a train conductor and an operator in terms of educational background:

	Train Conductor	Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Train conductor vs operator demographics

Here are the differences between train conductors' and operators' demographics:

	Train Conductor	Operator
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 2.0% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	4%

Differences between train conductor and operator duties and responsibilities

Train conductor example responsibilities.

Provide excellent leadership by training new conductors in railroad rules and regulations, while simultaneously managing the train yard.
Operate track switches, couple cars and work on freight trains in yard operations and on the road with heavy travel.
Conform to FRA rules during train movement and transportation.
Require attention to detail in train consist and hazmat placements.
Get all the paper work for the train including all hazmat waybills and emergency response.
Inspect all equipment on cars and build trains in accordance with FRA, rules and regulations, prior to departures.

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

Train conductor vs operator skills

Common train conductor skills

Switches, 18%
Rail Cars, 16%
FRA, 13%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Ladders, 10%
Locomotives, 6%

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%