Average Subway And Streetcar Operators Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Subway And Streetcar Operators is $86,380 per year. The middle 50% earn between $61,980 and $90,140, with 10,200 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 13 states and 8 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Subway And Streetcar Operators 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
- $55,180
- 25th
- $61,980
- Median
- $86,380
- 75th
- $90,140
- 90th
- $90,140
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 subway and streetcar operators 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 subway and streetcar operators from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +3.4%
- 300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- 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 Subway And Streetcar Operators earn the most
Geographic variation is relatively low. Pay for subway and streetcar operators is fairly consistent across the country, so moving for higher pay has limited upside. Right now, the top-paying state is Maryland at $92,420, about 7.0% above the national median. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with a median of $90,140.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $92,420 | 480 |
| California | $78,680 | 900 |
| Washington | $77,020 | 320 |
| Florida | $72,860 | 130 |
| New Jersey | $68,970 | 140 |
| Minnesota | $65,410 | 140 |
| North Carolina | $62,590 | 110 |
| Virginia | $61,970 | N/A |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $90,140 | 3,950 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $84,350 | 150 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,020 | 320 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $69,680 | 130 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $63,030 | 40 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $61,980 | 70 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $60,970 | 200 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $59,570 | 270 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see subway and streetcar operators 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 Subway And Streetcar Operators rose from $67,880 to $86,380, a gain of +27.3% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $67,880 would need to be worth $85,480 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $86,380 is $900 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +1.1% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 27.3%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +27.3%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +1.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Subway And Streetcar Operators median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $86,380
- 2024
- $84,830
- 2023
- $84,270
- 2022
- $88,260
- 2021
- $81,180
- 2020
- $69,440
- 2019
- $67,880
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.
- Locomotive Engineers
- $81,410
- Transportation Inspectors
- $92,100
Common salary questions for Subway And Streetcar Operators
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Subway And Streetcar Operators 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.