Headline risk
8%
Low RiskRailroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
AI displacement pressure score for United States AI Work Index, combining global AI task overlap with local wages, employment trends, and demand signals.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 65,480
Employment 2024
11.0K
Projected Change (2024–34)
1.0%
Openings (2024–34)
1.0K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of railroad workers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers. AI use: 0%
- 2. Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes. AI use: 0%
- 3. Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication. AI use: 0%
- 4. Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly. AI use: 0%
- 5. Pull or push track switches to reroute cars. AI use: 0%
- 6. Observe tracks from left sides of locomotives to detect obstructions on tracks. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 46.9 · 59K employed
Under 25: 10% · 25–54: 69% · 55+: 20%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Data quality
Employment data available
Narrative & sources
Railroad workers ensure that passenger and freight trains operate safely. They may drive trains, coordinate the activities of the trains, or control signals and switches in the rail yard.
Nearly all railroad workers are employed in the rail transportation industry. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
Railroad workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and several months of on-the-job training.
The median annual wage for railroad workers was $75,680 in May 2024.
Overall employment of railroad workers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Important context
This score measures structural AI displacement pressure, not actual job losses. Local wages and demand data are specific to United States AI Work Index; the underlying AI task overlap analysis is consistent across all countries.