Locomotive Engineers vs Railroad Safety Inspectors
Median pay is about $11k higher for Railroad Safety Inspectors. The usual entry education is high school for Locomotive Engineers and high school plus experience for Railroad Safety Inspectors.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Locomotive Engineers | Railroad Safety Inspectors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $81,410 | $92,100, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $75,190, higher | $58,780 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $93,260 | $108,890, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +0.5% Stable | +2.2% Growing, higher |
| Openings a year | 2,000 | 2,300 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school | High school plus experience |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.6 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 31st pct | 41st pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Locomotive Engineers
- Active Learning
Only Railroad Safety Inspectors
- Writing
Both lean on active listening, speaking, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.