Yard hostler vs switch crew supervisor

The differences between yard hostlers and switch crew supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a switch crew supervisor has an average salary of $58,035, which is higher than the $38,648 average annual salary of a yard hostler.

The top three skills for a yard hostler include CDL, dock doors and DOT. The most important skills for a switch crew supervisor are switches, tank cars, and .

Yard hostler vs switch crew supervisor overview

	Yard Hostler	Switch Crew Supervisor
Yearly salary	$38,648	$58,035
Hourly rate	$18.58	$27.90
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	3,770	64,446
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

Yard hostler vs switch crew supervisor salary

Yard hostlers and switch crew supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Yard Hostler	Switch Crew Supervisor
Average salary	$38,648	$58,035
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $39,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	Elizabeth, NJ	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Ryder System	-
Best paying industry	Transportation	-

Differences between yard hostler and switch crew supervisor education

There are a few differences between a yard hostler and a switch crew supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Yard Hostler	Switch Crew Supervisor
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	General Studies	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Yard hostler vs switch crew supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between yard hostlers' and switch crew supervisors' demographics:

	Yard Hostler	Switch Crew Supervisor
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 1.9% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 1.9% White, 74.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between yard hostler and switch crew supervisor duties and responsibilities

Yard hostler example responsibilities.

Cut blackboard, operate skylift, forklift, bobcat, tractor.
Load double trailers and flatbeds with rock or sand using bobcat forklift.
Inspect, put trailer to dock for loading and unloading, pull trailer to lots for driver pickup
Rake leaves, cut, and water grass and pick up garbage to maintain grounds and yards.
Operate locomotives in and out of roundhouse to couple, uncouple, switch and build consist for outbound trains.
Assist in cutting grass, trimming hedges, pulling weeds, planting flowers, applying chemicals to kill weeds.

Switch crew supervisor example responsibilities.

Install first Ethernet network utilizing Novell technology.
Perform NOC duties as required.
Maintain communication network equipment and switches, operate and install communication equipment, and operate diagnostic equipment specific to network switches.
Identify market opportunity, assemble leadership and production teams, secure capital investment and build business/financial infrastructure.

Yard hostler vs switch crew supervisor skills

Common yard hostler skills

CDL, 42%
Dock Doors, 20%
DOT, 17%
Landing Gear, 4%
Yard Truck, 3%
Spot Trailers, 3%

Common switch crew supervisor skills

Switches, 54%
Tank Cars, 46%

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Transportation Industry
Yard Hostler
Yard Hostler vs Switch Crew Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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