As of February 01, 2026, the average hourly pay of Railroad Engineer in the United States is $38. While Salary.com is seeing that Railroad Engineer salary in the US can go up to $44 or down to $33, but most earn between $36 and $41. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Railroad Engineer in the United States.
| Percentile | Hourly Pay Rate | Location | Last Updated |
| 10th Percentile Railroad Engineer Salary | $33 | US | February 01, 2026 |
| 25th Percentile Railroad Engineer Salary | $36 | US | February 01, 2026 |
| 50th Percentile Railroad Engineer Salary | $38 | US | February 01, 2026 |
| 75th Percentile Railroad Engineer Salary | $41 | US | February 01, 2026 |
| 90th Percentile Railroad Engineer Salary | $44 | US | February 01, 2026 |
An engineer (American and Canadian), engine driver, loco pilot, motorman, train driver (British and Commonwealth English), is a person who operates a train. The driver is in charge of, and responsible for driving the engine, as well as the mechanical operation of the train, train speed, and all train handling. For many American railroads, the following career progression is typical: assistant conductor (brakeman), conductor and finally driver. In the US, drivers are required to be certified and re-certified every two to three years. In American English a hostler moves engines around train y...
Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia
See user submitted job responsibilities for Railroad Engineer.
0 - 2 years experience
Bachelor's Degree
2 - 4 years experience
Bachelor's Degree
| Job Title | Experience | EDUCATION | Salary Compared to This Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Title Civil Engineer II | Experience 2 - 4 | EducationBachelors | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Civil Engineer III | Experience 4 - 7 | EducationBachelors | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Civil Engineer IV | Experience 7 + | EducationBachelors | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Civil Engineer V | Experience 10 + | EducationBachelors | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Civil Engineer VI | Experience 12 + | EducationBachelors | Salary Compared to This Job |
Core compensation
Includes base and short-term incentives
Recently searched related titles: Civil Engineer Trainee, Civil Engineering Assistant, Engineering Student
Learn more about: Compensation Packages, Employee Flight Risk, Gender Pay Gap, Job Openings for This Role
Jobs with a similar salary range to Railroad Engineer : Civil Engineering Intern, Stormwater Engineer
