Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators in Louisiana

Get the information you need to know about working as a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operator.

While jobs for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators in Louisiana are decreasing, those who do work in these jobs get paid higher than average.

• Employment for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators in Louisiana is expected to decrease.

• Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators in Louisiana earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operator Career?

• Transportation & Materials Moving
• Ground Transportation
• Railroad & Railway Transportation

How Many Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators Work in Louisiana?

240 people worked as Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators in 2018 in this state.

There were 300 Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 60 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 220 Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators working in it, which means Louisiana has more Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators than average.

Job Projections for Louisiana

Jobs for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators in this state are declining at a rate of 15.6% which is a faster decline than the nationwide estimated projection of -1.6%.

Louisiana Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 50 annual Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators job openings in Louisiana, and 650 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 1,700 annual jobs and 19,000 total jobs in 2026.

What do Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators Make in Louisiana?

In 2018 wages for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators ranged from $34,180 to $83,090 with $50,680 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $16.43 to $39.95. The median hourly rate was $24.37.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $24.26 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $0.11.

The median salary in Louisiana is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top Louisiana Metros for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Baton Rouge, LA	180	$49,180

Top States for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators Employment

The table below shows the states where most Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	1,460	$53,850
Illinois	1,100	$62,400
Missouri	1,090	$61,270
Georgia	1,090	$50,060
New York	600	$63,690
Pennsylvania	490	$52,900
Indiana	380	$50,270
California	360	$0
Wyoming	260	$56,810
Louisiana	240	$50,680
West Virginia	220	$51,300
New Jersey	220	$57,560
South Carolina	190	$73,930
Ohio	160	$55,840
North Carolina	160	$59,420
Massachusetts	130	$73,590
Kentucky	130	$38,920
Michigan	130	$60,760
Alabama	120	$40,050
Arkansas	100	$43,130

Below are the states where Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
South Carolina	$73,930
Massachusetts	$73,590
Minnesota	$71,980
Wisconsin	$64,620
New York	$63,690
Oregon	$63,390
Washington	$63,010
Illinois	$62,400
Kansas	$62,370
Missouri	$61,270

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.