Careers / Subway and Streetcar Operators
Subway and Streetcar Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$86,380
United States, 2025
Employment
10,200
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
Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. May handle fares.
- O*NET code
- 53-4041.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Monitor lights indicating obstructions or other trains ahead and watch for car and truck traffic at crossings to stay alert to potential hazards.
- Operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors.
- Drive and control rail-guided public transportation, such as subways, elevated trains, and electric-powered streetcars, trams, or trolleys, to transport passengers.
- Report delays, mechanical problems, and emergencies to supervisors or dispatchers, using radios.
- Regulate vehicle speed and the time spent at each stop to maintain schedules.
- Make announcements to passengers, such as notifications of upcoming stops or schedule delays.
- Direct emergency evacuation procedures.
- Complete reports, including shift summaries and incident or accident reports.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$55,180
25th percentile
$61,980
75th percentile
$90,140
90th percentile
$90,140
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Active Listening3.6
- Speaking3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Time Management3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
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 | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.6 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.4 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 2.4 | Not selected | 2.4 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Subway and Streetcar OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD | $92,420 | 480 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $90,140 | 3,950 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $84,350 | 150 | 2025 |
| CA | $78,680 | 900 | 2025 |
| WA | $77,020 | 320 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $77,020 | 320 | 2025 |
| FL | $72,860 | 130 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $69,680 | 130 | 2025 |
| NJ | $68,970 | 140 | 2025 |
| MN | $65,410 | 140 | 2025 |
| St. Louis, MO | $63,030 | 40 | 2025 |
| NC | $62,590 | 110 | 2025 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $61,980 | 70 | 2025 |
| VA | $61,970 | — | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $60,970 | 200 | 2025 |
| GA | $59,570 | 300 | 2025 |
| Atlanta, GA | $59,570 | 270 | 2025 |
| TX | $58,780 | 240 | 2025 |
| UT | $58,620 | 970 | 2025 |
| MO | $53,030 | 70 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Subway and Streetcar Operators 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.