The average salary for a locomotive engineer in the United States is $75,870, but the range typically falls between $73,240 and $80,340. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $36.48, with a range between $35.21 and $38.63.
There are approximately 32,390 people employed as a locomotive engineer in the United States. With Texas, Pennsylvania, California employing the highest number of locomotive engineers.The state with the best pay for a locomotive engineer is New York, with an average annual salary of $93,880, while Mississippi has the lowest average annual salary of $61,020.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $59,450 | $28.58 |
| 25th Percentile | $73,240 | $35.21 |
| Median | $74,770 | $35.95 |
| 75th Percentile | $80,340 | $38.63 |
| 90th Percentile | $92,670 | $44.55 |
The salary of a locomotive engineer can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a locomotive engineer in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for locomotive engineers are New York, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma while the worst states are Mississippi, South Dakota, West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $53,980 | $68,050 | $74,480 |
| Arizona | $46,990 | $73,360 | $77,500 |
| Arkansas | $51,700 | $71,520 | $86,440 |
| California | $53,220 | $68,880 | $74,770 |
| Colorado | $56,240 | $75,800 | $81,930 |
| Connecticut | $73,900 | $87,110 | $92,670 |
| Florida | $55,950 | $74,720 | $90,500 |
| Georgia | $58,570 | $71,880 | $75,480 |
| Indiana | $59,120 | $74,060 | $89,430 |
| Iowa | $61,420 | $79,280 | $86,830 |
| Kansas | $59,650 | $71,010 | $73,510 |
| Kentucky | $56,160 | $76,490 | $100,200 |
| Louisiana | $51,020 | $70,940 | $79,970 |
| Maine | $57,290 | $79,360 | $96,590 |
| Maryland | $71,960 | $85,760 | $94,190 |
| Michigan | $53,780 | $70,350 | $90,190 |
| Minnesota | $69,230 | $78,460 | $104,500 |
| Mississippi | $35,480 | $61,020 | $71,290 |
| Missouri | $73,730 | $72,910 | $73,790 |
| Montana | $78,390 | $78,400 | $78,430 |
| Nebraska | $61,360 | $75,960 | $81,360 |
| New Jersey | $75,720 | $82,220 | $92,730 |
| New York | $64,780 | $93,880 | $103,990 |
| North Carolina | $65,140 | $85,610 | $100,460 |
| Ohio | $63,270 | $76,010 | $96,970 |
| Oklahoma | $62,730 | $82,290 | $102,840 |
| Oregon | $64,970 | $72,850 | $78,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,520 | $75,090 | $90,010 |
| South Dakota | $64,590 | $67,240 | $78,820 |
| Tennessee | $63,640 | $71,000 | $77,590 |
| Texas | $60,890 | $70,950 | $74,180 |
| Washington | $60,320 | $73,630 | $90,270 |
| West Virginia | $43,340 | $69,210 | $97,990 |
| Wisconsin | $67,400 | $75,920 | $79,110 |
| Wyoming | $73,800 | $81,050 | $99,610 |
Even between cities, the salary of a locomotive engineer can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for locomotive engineers is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area, WA with an average salary of $75,450.
Areas with highest average salaries for locomotive engineers
The number of locomotive engineers in the United States has been decreasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of locomotive engineers has decreased by -4,720. On average, the number of locomotive engineers has been increasing by -3.2% each year. The salary of locomotive engineers has been increasing. Since 2020, the salary of locomotive engineers has increased by $5,210. On average, the salary of locomotive engineers has been increasing by 1.8% each year.
Locomotive Engineers are part of the transportation and material moving occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for locomotive engineers compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all transportation and material moving occupations jobs here.
$59,860 per year
$39,970 per year
$136,790 per year
$35,120 per year
$36,920 per year
$45,210 per year
