Although employment in most railroad transportation occupations is expected to change little through the year 2016, opportunities are expected to be good for qualified applicants, in large part due to the number of workers expected to retire or leave these occupations in the next decade.
Employment change. Employment is expected to increase by 1 percent, which is considered little or no change. This will occur despite expected increases in the amount of freight volume, which will be due to railroads' advantages over other modes of shipping.
Demand for railroad freight service will grow as the economy and the intermodal transportation of goods continue to expand. Intermodal transportation involves loading cargo in large containers that can be moved by ship, rail, or truck. Improved delivery times and on time service along with reduced shipping rates will help railroads compete with other modes of transportation, such as trucks, ships, and aircraft. Railroads will also benefit from congested highways and relative savings on rising fuel costs. However, technology will allow railroads to improve productivity and consolidate duties, which will offset the need for new employees in occupations not essential for railroad operations. For example, the need for rail yard engineers who operate trains inside rail yards will see a rapid decline as a result of remote control locomotive technology, while employment of locomotive engineers will grow as fast as the average because of the continued need for train operators on open rail. For similar reasons, railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and other rail transportation occupations will see a decline in employment, whereas railroad conductors will continue to be necessary for train operation for the foreseeable future and are expected to grow about as fast as average through 2016.
Passenger rail service is anticipated to increase volume on pace with the growing population, as are public transit authorities. Employment of subway and streetcar operators will see average growth due to increased demand for light-rail transportation systems around the country.
Job prospects. Opportunities for rail transportation workers will be favorable as a large number of older workers are expected to retire over the next decade. Other workers will leave the occupation for various personal and professional reasons, creating further opportunities. Prospects will be best for those positions that are also expected to see growth, for example locomotive engineers and conductors. There will also be job opportunities for those positions that are expected to decline, for example brake, signal, and switch operators. These openings will be the result of retirements and other separations. Entry-level occupations such as brake operator and conductor should be plentiful for applicants with clean drug and criminal records. Opportunities for long-distance train crews are also expected to be good as many of those working in the yards prefer not to travel long distances.
Rail transportation workers held 125,000 jobs in 2006, distributed among the detailed occupations as follows:
| Locomotive engineers and operators |
47,000 |
| Railroad conductors and yardmasters |
40,000 |
| Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators |
25,000 |
| Subway and streetcar operators |
6,900 |
| Rail transportation workers, all other |
6,800 |
Most rail transportation workers were employed in the rail transportation industry or support activities for the industry. Rail transportation and rail transportation support activities made up 109,000 jobs in 2006. The rest worked primarily for local governments as subway and streetcar operators, who held 11,000 jobs, while 1,700 workers were employed in mining and manufacturing establishments that operate their own locomotives to move railcars containing ore, coal, and other bulk materials.
Overall Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience maybe helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer could benefit from experience in installing dry wall, but an inexperienced person could learn the job fairly easily.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job related course work. In some cases, you may need an associate's or bachelor's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.
Examples
Drywall installers, fire inspectors, flight attendants, pharmacy technicians, retail salespersons, and bank tellers.
In these occupations you can often use your knowledge and skills to help others.
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To obtain information on employment opportunities, contact either the employment offices of railroads and rail transit systems or State employment service offices.
General information about the rail transportation industry is available from:
- Association of American Railroads, 50 F St. N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Internet: http://www.aar.org
General information about career opportunities in passenger transportation is available from:
- American Public Transportation Association, 1666 K Street N.W., Washington, DC 20006. Internet: http://www.apta.com
- National Railroad Passenger Corporation, 60 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., 4th floor, Washington, DC 20002. Internet: http://www.amtrak.com
General information on career opportunities as a locomotive engineer is available from:
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, 1370 Ontario St. Mezzanine, Cleveland, OH 44113. Internet: http://www.ble.org
General information on career opportunities as a conductor, yardmaster, or brake operator is available from:
- United Transportation Union, 14600 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44107. Internet: http://www.utu.org
Sources: O*Net data version 12.0
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Department of Labor
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