Rail transportation

Opportunities are expected to be good for qualified applicants, mainly because of the large number of workers expected to retire or leave these occupations in the next decade.
Employment is expected to decline due to productivity increases.
Most workers begin as yard laborers and later may have the opportunity to train for engineer or conductor jobs.
Eight out of 10 workers are members of unions, and earnings are relatively high.

Quick Stats

2004 employment: 8,000
2014 projected employment: 6,000
Change — numeric: -2,000; percent: -30.8%
2004 median annual earnings: $40,710; earnings group: high
2004 self-employed: 0.0%
2004 part-time employment: very low
2004 unemployment: very high
Typical education and training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Educational attainment — high school: 62.9%; some college: 30.1%; bachelor's degree: 7.0%

source: Employment Matrix; about this section

National Average and Percentile Annual Earnings, May 2005

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

May 2005 Mean Annual Earnings and Employment, wage and salary workers

Rail transportation workers, all other
— National
U.S.:	$38,100
— by State
CA:	$37,540
GA:	$39,710
IL:	$40,260
KY:	$41,340
MI:	$28,130
MN:	$41,200
MS:	$36,070
NC:	$34,820
OH:	$35,630
TX:	$38,390
WV:	$27,150
WI:	$34,670
— by NAICS Industry Sector
31-33	$43,450
48-49	$38,150
92	$36,320
Also see State and Metropolitan Area and industry estimates of employment and percentile earnings for rail transportation workers, all other.

Width of bars indicates mean annual wages; color of bars indicates employment.

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

1999 employment and earnings distribution, year-round full-time workers

Subway, streetcar, and other rail transportation workers

	Percentile earnings distribution
	10th	25th	50th	75th	90th
All workers employment: 7,970 average earnings: $42,000	$22,000	$32,000	$41,000	$51,000	$61,000
Men employment: 7,270 average earnings: $42,000	$22,000	$32,000	$41,000	$52,000	$63,000
Women employment: 700 average earnings: $36,000	$17,000	$26,000	$36,000	$45,000	$52,000

source: Bureau of the Census; about this section

2004 Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure

Occupation	Fatalities: Event or exposure
Occupation	Total	Tran.	Viol.	Cont.	Falls	Expo.	Fires
Rail transportation workers	21	20	-	-	-	-	-

source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities Program; about this section