Train conductor vs railroad dispatcher

The differences between train conductors and railroad dispatchers 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 $39,504 average annual salary of a railroad dispatcher.

The top three skills for a train conductor include switches, rail cars and FRA. The most important skills for a railroad dispatcher are locomotives, train crews, and .

Train conductor vs railroad dispatcher overview

	Train Conductor	Railroad Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$58,474	$39,504
Hourly rate	$28.11	$18.99
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	1,646	4,224
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	-	2

Train conductor vs railroad dispatcher salary

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

	Train Conductor	Railroad Dispatcher
Average salary	$58,474	$39,504
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $83,000	Between $28,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between train conductor and railroad dispatcher education

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

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

Train conductor vs railroad dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between train conductors' and railroad dispatchers' demographics:

	Train Conductor	Railroad Dispatcher
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%	Male, 68.4% Female, 31.6%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.8% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between train conductor and railroad dispatcher 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.

Railroad dispatcher example responsibilities.

Direct inbound and outbound logistics operations, such as transportation and warehouse activities, safety performance, and logistics quality management.
Follow all GCOR and SOI rules with no injuries.

Train conductor vs railroad dispatcher skills

Common train conductor skills

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

Common railroad dispatcher skills

Locomotives, 55%
Train Crews, 45%

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Train Conductor vs Railroad Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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