Assistant engineers monitor instruments and signals as well as observe the track for obstructions. However, they are being phased out and their duties are being performed by brake operators. Railroad Engineers is a specialty of Railway Transportation Workers. For more information, see the Railway Transportation Workers occupation. Railroad Engineers is in the Transportation Career Cluster.
Wages vary with training, experience and location.
Entry level wages may be lower. There were 940 people employed as railroad engineers in Indiana in 1998. An additional 90 people were employed as rail yard engineers, dinkey operators and hostlers and 400 people were employed as all other rail vehicle operators. It is estimated that between 1996 and 2006, about 18 jobs per year for locomotive engineers and 7 jobs per year for rail yard engineers will need to be filled. These numbers include mostly jobs resulting from the replacement of current workers.