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Locomotive Engineers in Washington

Want to work as a Locomotive Engineers in Washington? Here’s what you need to know. Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interpret train orders, electronic or manual signals, and railroad rules and regulations. Excludes “Engineers” (17-2011 through 17-2199).

What do Locomotive Engineers Make in Washington?

The locomotive engineers working in Washington, the typical annual salary is $73,410 per year (or roughly $35.29/hour).Annual wages span from $60,070 at the 10th percentile to $74,020 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$60,070	$28.88
25th percentile	$60,070	$28.88
Median (50th)	$73,410	$35.29
75th percentile	$73,410	$35.29
90th percentile	$74,020	$35.59

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Washington compared to the national average — is 1.11, suggesting that locomotive engineers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, locomotive engineers earn a median of $61,391 per year ($29.51/hour), higher than the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 89,503 locomotive engineers in the U.S.. In Washington alone, approximately 810 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 530 locomotive engineers.

Top States for Locomotive Engineers Employment

These states have the highest employment of locomotive engineers work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	4,040
Illinois	2,130
California	1,670
Iowa	1,520
Pennsylvania	1,460
New York	1,290
Kansas	990
Montana	970
Georgia	870
Indiana	860
Washington	810
Missouri	810
Minnesota	730
Nebraska	720
Arkansas	700
Florida	620
Tennessee	610
Oregon	530
Virginia	520
Massachusetts	500

Highest-Paying States for Locomotive Engineers

These states pay the most for locomotive engineers.

State	Annual Median Salary
New York	$107,290
Massachusetts	$104,950
Connecticut	$103,010
Iowa	$87,550
Oklahoma	$86,520
Nebraska	$84,870
New Jersey	$84,230
Illinois	$83,690
Delaware	$82,920
Wisconsin	$82,190

Skills

Top locomotive engineers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for locomotive engineers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, locomotive engineers typically:

• Interpret train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
• Confer with conductors or traffic control center personnel via radiophones to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, or oncoming trains.
• Receive starting signals from conductors and use controls such as throttles or air brakes to drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas turbine-electric locomotives.
• Monitor gauges or meters that measure speed, amperage, battery charge, or air pressure in brake lines or in main reservoirs.
• Observe tracks to detect obstructions.
• Call out train signals to assistants to verify meanings.
• Operate locomotives to transport freight or passengers between stations or to assemble or disassemble trains within rail yards.
• Check to ensure that brake examination tests are conducted at shunting stations.
• Respond to emergency conditions or breakdowns, following applicable safety procedures and rules.
• Inspect locomotives to verify adequate fuel, sand, water, or other supplies before each run or to check for mechanical problems.
• Inspect locomotives after runs to detect damaged or defective equipment.
• Prepare reports regarding any problems encountered, such as accidents, signaling problems, unscheduled stops, or delays.

Work Activities

• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Getting Information
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Processing Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Analyzing Data or Information
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Ground Transportation

Related Careers

Other careers like locomotive engineers include:

• Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
• Signal and Track Switch Repairers
• Power Distributors and Dispatchers
• Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Also Known As

Diesel Engine Operator, Diesel Engineer, Diesel Locomotive Engineer, Engine Pilot, Engineer, Engineman, Freight Engineer, Fuel Pilot Engineer, Locomotive Engineer, Locomotive Operator, Lokie Driver, Lokie Engineer, Motor Driver, Motor Operator, Motor Runner.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-4011.00