Average Locomotive Engineers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Locomotive Engineers is $81,410 per year. The middle 50% earn between $75,190 and $93,260, with 33,470 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 36 states and 3 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Locomotive Engineers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $60,680
- 25th
- $75,190
- Median
- $81,410
- 75th
- $93,260
- 90th
- $109,220
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most locomotive engineers earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for locomotive engineers from 2024 to 2034. Growth is below the US average of roughly 4% across all occupations. The field is relatively stable but not expanding quickly.
- Projected growth
- +0.7%
- 200 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
A high-school diploma is typically sufficient for entry, with much of the training happening on the job.
Where Locomotive Engineers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where locomotive engineers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New York at $109,220, about 34.2% above the national median. At the metro level, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX leads with a median of $65,340.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $109,220 | 1,510 |
| Massachusetts | $108,790 | 640 |
| Mississippi | $96,710 | 300 |
| Minnesota | $93,700 | 990 |
| Illinois | $93,320 | 2,340 |
| Indiana | $92,790 | 1,030 |
| Florida | $92,310 | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $91,970 | 260 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $65,340 | 250 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $63,700 | 40 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $57,140 | 100 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see locomotive engineers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Locomotive Engineers rose from $67,090 to $81,410, a gain of +21.3% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $67,090 would need to be worth $84,485 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $81,410 is −$3,075 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -3.6% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 21.3% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +21.3%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -3.6%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Locomotive Engineers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $81,410
- 2024
- $77,400
- 2023
- $74,770
- 2022
- $74,570
- 2021
- $79,740
- 2020
- $71,870
- 2019
- $67,090
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Subway And Streetcar Operators
- $86,380
- Transportation Inspectors
- $92,100
Common salary questions for Locomotive Engineers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Locomotive Engineers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.