What Do Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster Do?

Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster Job Description Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight trains. Yardmasters review train schedules and switching orders and coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains and yard switching.

Life As a Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster

• Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.
• Inspect freight cars for compliance with sealing procedures and record car numbers and seal numbers.
• Operate controls to activate track switches and traffic signals.
• Confirm routes and destination information for freight cars.
• Record departure and arrival times, messages, tickets and revenue collected, and passenger accommodations and destinations.
• Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.

What a Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster Should Know

When polled, Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Types of Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster Jobs

• Train Master
• Conductor and Engineer
• Car Dispatcher
• Ticket Collector
• Conductor, Freight

Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster Job Outlook

There were about 41,800 jobs for Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster. There will be an estimated 3,700 positions for Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster per year.

The states with the most job growth for Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster are South Carolina, Texas, and Nebraska. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Louisiana, or Oregon. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster Make?

The typical yearly salary for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters is somewhere between $44,690 and $95,330.

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters who work in Maryland, California, or Wyoming, make the highest salaries.

How much do Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters make in different U.S. states?

What Tools do Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters:

• Microsoft Office
• Inventory tracking software

How do I Become a Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster?

Education needed to be a Railroad Conductor or Yardmaster:

How many years of work experience do I need?

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.