Career
Locomotive engineers
Drive trains.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
- Interpret train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
- Observe tracks to detect obstructions.
- Confer with conductors or traffic control center personnel via radiophones to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, or oncoming trains.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“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.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $81,410 a year and 2,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Railroad and Railway TransportationCIP 49.0208
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers$68,840 · +0.8%
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters$78,000 · +0.9%
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers$60,600 · +0.8%
- Subway and Streetcar Operators$86,380 · +3.7%
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770 · +3.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.