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.
- O*NET-SOC code
53-4022.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45,660 | $57,820 | $68,840 | $76,590 | $86,590 |
By state (24)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 240 | $56,050 | 1.41 |
| California | 1,340 | $58,770 | 0.92 |
| Colorado | $76,140 | ||
| Florida | 130 | $58,250 | 0.17 |
| Georgia | 250 | $75,540 | 0.63 |
| Illinois | 1,210 | $76,290 | 2.48 |
| Indiana | 160 | $64,530 | 0.64 |
| Iowa | 220 | $80,910 | 1.74 |
| Kansas | 390 | $66,990 | 3.44 |
| Kentucky | 170 | $56,410 | 1.08 |
| Louisiana | 210 | $54,260 | 1.37 |
| Maryland | 100 | $79,180 | 0.44 |
| Michigan | 190 | $66,970 | 0.53 |
| Missouri | 730 | $67,110 | 3.12 |
| New Jersey | 70 | $74,160 | 0.19 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $72,340 | 1.47 |
| New York | 220 | $83,530 | 0.29 |
| North Carolina | 110 | $54,810 | 0.29 |
| Ohio | 280 | $67,770 | 0.64 |
| Pennsylvania | 350 | $55,470 | 0.72 |
| Texas | 1,650 | $71,580 | 1.47 |
| Washington | 740 | $85,140 | 2.61 |
| West Virginia | 120 | $46,900 | 2.21 |
| Wyoming | 400 | $45,490 | 17.78 |
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 | Aircraft Service Attendants | 1-2 | 0.955 |
| 2 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 3 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 1-2 | 0.942 |
| 4 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1-2 | 0.941 |
| 5 | Bridge and Lock Tenders | 1-2 | 0.932 |
| 6 | Motorboat Operators | 1-2 | 0.931 |
| 7 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 1-2 | 0.930 |
| 8 | Bus Drivers, School | 1-2 | 0.929 |
| 9 | Light Truck Drivers | 1-2 | 0.929 |
| 10 | Highway Maintenance Workers | 1-2 | 0.928 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | Troubleshooting | 0.88 | 0.941 |
| Tree Trimmers and Pruners | Instructing | 0.88 | 0.918 |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | Reading Comprehension | 0.87 | 0.915 |
| Baggage Porters and Bellhops | Service Orientation | 1.00 | 0.902 |
| Driver/Sales Workers | Service Orientation | 1.00 | 0.893 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers, excluding software Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Computerized maintenance management system CMMS | 3 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Microsoft Windows | 8 of 20 | 1.5x |
| Inventory tracking software | 3 of 20 | 3.1x |
| Web browser software | 7 of 20 | 0.7x |
| SAP software | 3 of 20 | 0.5x |
| Microsoft Word | 13 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 6 of 20 | 0.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 2.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.38 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 1.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 2.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 4.35 | 5.27 |
| Public Safety and Security | 4.03 | 4.82 |
| English Language | 3.62 | 3.92 |
| Administration and Management | 3.62 | 3.64 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.03 | 4.20 |
| Education and Training | 2.76 | 3.49 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.65 | 2.64 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.38 | 2.24 |
| Administrative | 2.38 | 1.45 |
| Telecommunications | 2.35 | 2.82 |
| Law and Government | 2.35 | 2.52 |
| Mathematics | 2.17 | 2.19 |
| Geography | 2.15 | 2.44 |
| Mechanical | 2.13 | 2.40 |
| Production and Processing | 2.06 | 1.65 |
| Building and Construction | 1.75 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.74 | not rated |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.59 | not rated |
| Design | 1.58 | not rated |
| Psychology | 1.44 | not rated |
| Communications and Media | 1.40 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.35 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.30 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.25 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.24 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.21 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.19 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.10 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.07 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.06 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.06 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.05 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.02 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Far Vision | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.75 | 2.88 |
| Reaction Time | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Control Precision | 3.62 | 3.38 |
| Response Orientation | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Near Vision | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Oral Expression | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 2.75 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Selective Attention | 3.25 | 2.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 2.75 |
| Stamina | 3.25 | 2.75 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Rate Control | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Written Comprehension | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Depth Perception | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Written Expression | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.38 | 1.75 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Sound Localization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Memorization | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| Originality | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| Night Vision | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Number Facility | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.38 | 0.62 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Google Android in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Electronic train management system software
- Electronic train management systems ETMS
- Route mapping software
- Time tracking 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.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 560 | 1.55 | $72,180 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 270 | 1.04 | $47,750 |