Railroad Conductors vs Subway & Light Rail Operators
Median pay is about $8k higher for Subway & Light Rail Operators. Both usually start with the same education: high school.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Railroad Conductors | Subway & Light Rail Operators |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $78,000 | $86,380, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $65,610, higher | $61,980 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $83,820 | $90,140, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +0.9% Stable | +3.7% Growing, higher |
| Openings a year | 3,000 | 900 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school | High school |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.6 / 5 | 2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | High | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 59th pct | 34th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Railroad Conductors
- Writing
Only Subway & Light Rail Operators
- Active Learning
Both lean on speaking, monitoring, critical thinking, active listening, reading comprehension.
More comparisons
Compare Railroad Conductors with
Compare Subway & Light Rail Operators with
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.