Description
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.
Interests
- Realistic
- Conventional
Work Values
- Support
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
Work Styles
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Tasks
- Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
- Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
- Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
- Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
- Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
Work Activities
- Getting Information
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Detailed Work Activities
- Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Technology Skills
- Spreadsheet software
- Electronic mail software
- Expert system software
- Route navigation software
- Time accounting software
Skills
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Operation and Control
Knowledge
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- English Language
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $NaN |
| Median (50%) | $NaN |
| High (90%) | $NaN |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–7 years), to senior level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
| Entry Level | $50,000 |
| Mid Level | $100,000 |
| Senior Level | $150,000 |
Employability
There are currently 12,000 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 12,100 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 2%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 2%
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), with ONET® being a registered trademark of USDOL/ETA. Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA; CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED); and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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