Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Also called: Air Brake Operator, Air Hose Coupler, Area Brakeman, Brake Holder, Brake Rider, Brakeman, Car Coupler, Car Shifter
Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments.
What Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers do
Typical tasks
- Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
- Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
- Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
- Raise levers to couple and uncouple cars for makeup and breakup of trains.
- Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
- Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
- Conduct brake tests to determine the condition of brakes on trains.
- Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
- Receive oral or written instructions from yardmasters or yard conductors indicating track assignments and cars to be switched.
- Inspect tracks, cars, and engines for defects and to determine service needs, sending engines and cars for repairs as necessary.
- Observe tracks from left sides of locomotives to detect obstructions on tracks.
- Signal other workers to set brakes and to throw track switches when switching cars from trains to way stations.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers salary
The median annual wage for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers is $68,840 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $45,660 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $86,590. The mean annual wage is $69,030.
The mean hourly wage of $33.00 is 4.6× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $68,840 → in 3 years $75,200 → in 5 years $79,800 → in 10 years $92,500 (10-year range $79,500–$107,400). The model assumes pay growth of +3.0% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.