Transportation and Material Moving · Holland code RC

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.

Also called: Brakeman, Carman, Railroad Switchman, Terminal Carman, Fireman, Locomotive Switch Operator, Railroad Brakeman, Switch Operator.

O*NET 53-4022.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $68,840; Middle half earn $57,820 to $76,590. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
Inspect locomotives to detect damaged or worn parts.
Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
Operate and drive locomotives, diesel switch engines, dinkey engines, flatcars, and railcars in train yards and at industrial sites.
Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
Raise levers to couple and uncouple cars for makeup and breakup of trains.
Monitor oil, temperature, and pressure gauges on dashboards to determine if engines are operating safely and efficiently.
Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.4 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
Writing2.4 / 5

Knowledge areas

Transportation4.3 / 5
Public Safety and Security4.0 / 5
Administration and Management3.6 / 5
English Language3.6 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.0 / 5
Education and Training2.8 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative18
Artistic0
Social4
Enterprising7
Conventional54

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

rail maintenance technician · DE Schieneninstandhaltungstechniker/Schieneninstandhaltungstechnikerin · FR technicien entretien infrastructure ferroviaire/technicienne entretien infrastructure ferroviaire
rail traffic controller · DE Fahrdienstleiter Bahn/Fahrdienstleiterin Bahn · FR opérateur de la circulation ferroviaire/opératrice de la circulation ferroviaire
level crossing signalperson · DE Schrankenwärter/Schrankenwärterin · FR garde barrière
rail switchperson · DE Weichenwärter/Weichenwärterin · FR aiguilleur du réseau ferré/aiguilleuse du réseau ferré
shunter · DE Rangierer/Rangiererin · FR agent de manœuvre du réseau ferré/agente de manœuvre du réseau ferré

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Transport and distribution clerks and assistants (4134)69,500 employed
Building and civil engineering technicians (3114)20,100 employed
Rail transport operatives (8234)13,700 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test