How much does a train engineer make?
Typical yearly pay for locomotive engineers in the United States.
median pay per year, about $6,784 a month or $39.14 an hour.
That's more than 68% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #33 of 100.
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| Power line worker | $95,320 |
| Ship captain or pilot | $92,460 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Train engineer | $81,410 |
| Aircraft mechanic | $79,870 |
| Railroad conductor | $78,000 |
| Zoologist | $76,780 |
Similar jobs
- Railroad conductor$78,000
- Ship captain or pilot$92,460
- Flight attendant$63,580
- Long-haul truck driver$58,640
- School bus driver$47,920
- Air traffic controller$148,080
How much does a train engineer make per hour?
About $39.14 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.
Becoming a train engineer
The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.
How to become a train engineer
About this number
This is the national median wage for the occupation “Locomotive Engineers” (code 53-4011.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.