Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.
- O*NET-SOC code
53-4013.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$60,600
Employment, U.S.3,920
Median hourly wage$29.14
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $44,540 | $52,780 | $60,600 | $80,360 | $100,270 |
By state (17)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 80 | $48,900 | 1.41 |
| Arkansas | 70 | $38,980 | 2.02 |
| California | 190 | $67,160 | 0.41 |
| Colorado | $60,770 | ||
| Florida | 120 | $80,360 | 0.47 |
| Indiana | 190 | $54,420 | 2.33 |
| Kansas | $56,090 | ||
| Kentucky | 110 | $62,070 | 2.16 |
| Nevada | 40 | $48,970 | 0.93 |
| New Jersey | 130 | $71,030 | 1.17 |
| Ohio | $59,460 | ||
| Oklahoma | 70 | $63,400 | 1.68 |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | $65,380 | 0.27 |
| Tennessee | 60 | $54,060 | 0.73 |
| Texas | 50 | $53,130 | 0.13 |
| Utah | $58,380 | ||
| West Virginia | 40 | $91,380 | 2.10 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sailors and Marine Oilers | 1-2 | 0.969 |
| 2 | Locomotive Engineers | 1-2 | 0.968 |
| 3 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1-2 | 0.967 |
| 4 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 1-2 | 0.963 |
| 5 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 1-2 | 0.962 |
| 6 | Crane and Tower Operators | 3 | 0.962 |
| 7 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | 3 | 0.960 |
| 8 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | 1-2 | 0.959 |
| 9 | Bridge and Lock Tenders | 1-2 | 0.958 |
| 10 | Light Truck Drivers | 1-2 | 0.958 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sailors and Marine Oilers | Equipment Maintenance | 0.76 | 0.969 |
| Locomotive Engineers | Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.968 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | Equipment Maintenance | 0.76 | 0.945 |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | Management of Personnel Resources | 0.87 | 0.941 |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Quality Control Analysis | 0.88 | 0.940 |
| Segmental Pavers | Persuasion | 1.00 | 0.938 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.936 |
| Bus Drivers, School | Social Perceptiveness | 0.88 | 0.935 |
| Gas Plant Operators | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.933 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers, excluding software Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Route mapping software | 3 of 20 | 19.8x |
| Inventory tracking software | 3 of 20 | 3.1x |
| Microsoft Windows | 5 of 20 | 1.0x |
| Microsoft Excel | 17 of 20 | 0.9x |
| SAP software | 3 of 20 | 0.5x |
| Microsoft Outlook | 11 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft Office software | 14 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft Word | 13 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 3 of 20 | 0.2x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 1.75 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 4.15 | 4.28 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.64 | 3.40 |
| Administration and Management | 3.22 | 3.30 |
| Mechanical | 3.14 | 3.54 |
| English Language | 3.10 | 2.68 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.01 | 3.36 |
| Education and Training | 2.96 | 3.11 |
| Administrative | 2.95 | 2.79 |
| Law and Government | 2.64 | 2.26 |
| Mathematics | 2.37 | 2.25 |
| Telecommunications | 2.31 | 1.59 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.30 | 1.95 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.25 | 2.10 |
| Geography | 2.17 | 2.17 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.09 | 1.44 |
| Communications and Media | 2.02 | 1.42 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.02 | 1.24 |
| Physics | 1.87 | 1.70 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.86 | 1.05 |
| Production and Processing | 1.85 | 1.80 |
| Psychology | 1.63 | 1.62 |
| Building and Construction | 1.61 | 1.09 |
| Design | 1.49 | 0.78 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.32 | 0.55 |
| Chemistry | 1.27 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.25 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.22 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.19 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.18 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.14 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.13 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.10 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.01 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Far Vision | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Reaction Time | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Control Precision | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Oral Expression | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Response Orientation | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.38 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Rate Control | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Depth Perception | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Spatial Orientation | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Written Expression | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Sound Localization | 2.50 | 1.88 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Stamina | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Originality | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.12 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Positive train control PTC systems
- RailComm DocYard
- Railcar inspection management software
- Railyard inventory software
- Railyard management software RMS
- Softrail AEI Automatic Yard Tracking System
- Softrail AEI Rail & Road Manager
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
No metro meets the threshold.