Careers / Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$60,600
United States, 2025
Employment
3,920
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.
- O*NET code
- 53-4013.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Spot cars for loading and unloading at customer locations.
- Operate track switches, derails, automatic switches, and retarders to change routing of train or cars.
- Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.
- Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation.
- Apply and release hand brakes.
- Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
- Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information.
- Inspect track for defects such as broken rails and switch malfunctions.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$44,540
25th percentile
$52,780
75th percentile
$80,360
90th percentile
$100,270
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.8
- Monitoring3.6
- Operations Monitoring3.6
- Speaking3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Active Listening3.4
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Time Management3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.1
- Quality Control Analysis3.1
- Troubleshooting3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 14 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
14
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.8 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.5 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and HostlersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| WV | $91,380 | 40 | 2025 |
| FL | $80,360 | 120 | 2025 |
| NJ | $71,030 | 130 | 2025 |
| CA | $67,160 | 190 | 2025 |
| PA | $65,380 | 40 | 2025 |
| OK | $63,400 | 70 | 2025 |
| KY | $62,070 | 110 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $61,230 | — | 2025 |
| CO | $60,770 | — | 2025 |
| OH | $59,460 | — | 2025 |
| UT | $58,380 | — | 2025 |
| KS | $56,090 | — | 2025 |
| IN | $54,420 | 190 | 2025 |
| TN | $54,060 | 60 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $53,890 | 60 | 2025 |
| TX | $53,130 | 50 | 2025 |
| NV | $48,970 | 40 | 2025 |
| AL | $48,900 | 80 | 2025 |
| AR | $38,980 | 70 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.