Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators and Hostlers: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators and Hostlers drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.

• Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information.
• Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
• Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.
• Drive engines within railroad yards or other establishments to couple, uncouple, or switch railroad cars.

Salary

Rail Yard Engineers with little to no experience tend to make between $33280 and $42080 while the more experienced ones can earn over $63220 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Rail Yard Engineer, Dinkey Operator and Hostler is to move to a higher paying state like SC. Right now, the highest paying states for Rail Yard Engineers are SC, NY, OK, MA and IN.

However, a higher pay at SC doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at SC might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Rail Yard Engineer, Dinkey Operator and Hostler is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Rail Yard Engineers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by a College Certificate.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Rail Yard Engineer, Dinkey Operator and Hostler.

What is the job like

61% of Rail Yard Engineers said they were satisfied with their job and 47% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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