Locomotive Engineer Salary in the U.S.
Median annual pay in the U.S.
$81,410
$39.14/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,680 | $29.17 |
| 25th percentile | $75,190 | $36.15 |
| Median | $81,410 | $39.14 |
| 75th percentile | $93,260 | $44.84 |
| 90th percentile | $109,220 | $52.51 |
Employment
- Employment in the U.S.
- 33,470
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Comparison
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| New York | ||
| 1st | $109,220 | $101,204 5th |
| Massachusetts | ||
| 2nd | $108,790 | $102,868 3rd |
| Mississippi | ||
| 3rd | $96,710 | $111,221 1st |
| Minnesota | ||
| 4th | $93,700 | $95,010 10th |
| Illinois | ||
| 5th | $93,320 | $93,359 11th |
| Indiana | ||
| 6th | $92,790 | $99,422 6th |
| Florida | ||
| 7th | $92,310 | $89,263 15th |
| Oklahoma | ||
| 8th | $91,970 | $104,698 2nd |
| Virginia | ||
| 9th | $90,780 | $89,789 14th |
| Montana | ||
| 10th | $90,220 | $95,325 8th |
| Iowa | ||
| 11th | $89,970 | $102,516 4th |
| Arizona | ||
| 12th | $89,840 | $89,236 16th |
| Colorado | ||
| 13th | $89,360 | $86,714 20th |
| South Carolina | ||
| 14th | $89,290 | $95,244 9th |
| New Mexico | ||
| 15th | $88,330 | $95,790 7th |
| New Jersey | ||
| 16th | $86,550 | $79,546 26th |
| Wisconsin | ||
| 17th | $84,550 | $89,856 13th |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| 18th | $82,460 | $84,512 23rd |
| Tennessee | ||
| 19th | $81,410 | $88,614 17th |
| Oregon | ||
| 20th | $79,130 | $76,557 28th |
| Texas | ||
| 21st | $79,000 | $81,395 25th |
| Arkansas | ||
| 22nd | $78,930 | $90,790 12th |
| Wyoming | ||
| 23rd | $78,910 | $85,132 22nd |
| Missouri | ||
| 24th | $78,820 | $86,790 19th |
| Kentucky | ||
| 25th | $77,620 | $86,092 21st |
| Alabama | ||
| 26th | $77,600 | $87,365 18th |
| California | ||
| 27th | $77,070 | $69,608 31st |
| Kansas | ||
| 28th | $75,190 | $83,481 24th |
| Washington | ||
| 29th | $73,750 | $68,917 32nd |
| New Hampshire | ||
| 30th | $70,670 | $67,844 34th |
| South Dakota | ||
| 31st | $69,180 | $78,094 27th |
| West Virginia | ||
| 32nd | $64,400 | $71,958 30th |
| Louisiana | ||
| 33rd | $64,200 | $72,783 29th |
| Ohio | ||
| 34th | $63,280 | $68,209 33rd |
| North Carolina | ||
| 35th | $61,190 | $64,871 35th |
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Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +0.5%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- High school diploma or equivalent
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
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