Locomotive engineer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:

$47.96 per hour

$99,760 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:

$39.76 per hour

$82,700 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:

$28.71 per hour

$59,710 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:

$24.76 per hour

$51,500 per year

10th percentile

Starting level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:

$20.38 per hour

$42,390 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Locomotive engineer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Washington $90,250
Delaware $84,870
New York $84,340
Wyoming $83,500
South Dakota $80,130
California $77,590
New Mexico $75,600
Kansas $72,370
Illinois $71,557
Pennsylvania $69,910
Iowa $68,110
Missouri $67,360
Maryland $65,060
Virginia $64,830
Mississippi $64,730
Arkansas $64,360
Tennessee $63,760
Alabama $63,360
Maine $63,100
Massachusetts $63,030
Nebraska $62,100
Arizona $61,850
Minnesota $61,580
Montana $61,270
Michigan $61,070
Ohio $61,020
Florida $60,660
South Carolina $60,410
Wisconsin $60,260
Louisiana $59,800
Texas $59,710
West Virginia $59,570
Idaho $59,510
New Jersey $59,510
Oregon $59,370
Indiana $59,180
Nevada $58,250
North Carolina $57,620
Kentucky $56,190
Utah $55,960
Georgia $55,400
Oklahoma $49,850
New Hampshire $47,260

How do locomotive engineer salaries compare to similar careers?

Locomotive engineers earn 6% less than similar careers in Texas. On average, they make less than freight and cargo inspectors but more than flight attendants.

Career Median Salary
Freight and cargo inspector salary $87K
Transportation planner salary $80K
Customs broker salary $73K
Ship engineer salary $69K
Industrial engineering technician salary $66K
Locomotive engineer salary $60K
Aircraft mechanic salary $62K
Geodesist salary $55K
Transit police officer salary $58K
Flight attendant salary $66K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)