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Railroad & Railway Transportation

Types of Degrees Railroad & Railway Transportation Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Railroad & Railway Transportation can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	4
Master’s Degree	74

What Railroad & Railway Transportation Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Railroad & Railway Transportation emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Railroad & Railway Transportation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Railroad & Railway Transportation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Transportation — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Railroad & Railway Transportation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Operation and Control — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Railroad & Railway Transportation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Far Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Railroad & Railway Transportation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Railroad & Railway Transportation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Softrail AEI Rail & Road Manager	Inventory management software	—
Softrail AEI Automatic Yard Tracking System	Industrial control software	—
RailComm DocYard	Industrial control software	—
Positive train control PTC systems	Expert system software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Railcar inspection management software	Facilities management software	—
Railyard inventory software	Inventory management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Railroad & Railway Transportation graduates include:

• Train Operator
• Car Barn Laborer
• Trackmobile Operator
• Switchman
• Carman
• Railcar Switchman
• Trainman
• Freight Conductor
• Conductor
• Road Supervisor
• Roadmaster
• Transportation Supervisor
• Yard Conductor
• Yard Manager
• Yard Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Railroad & Railway Transportation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	79.5%
Postsecondary certificate	9.8%
Some college courses	4.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.9%
Bachelor’s degree	2.3%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Railroad & Railway Transportation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 97.4% of Railroad & Railway Transportation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2	2.6%
Men	76	97.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Railroad & Railway Transportation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	49	62.8%
Hispanic or Latino	8	10.3%
Black or African American	7	9.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	2.6%
Two or More Races	2	2.6%
Race Unknown	10	12.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Railroad & Railway Transportation Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Railroad & Railway Transportation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,832
4 years	$42,430
5 years	$45,687

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,687 — roughly 4% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Railroad & Railway Transportation Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Railroad & Railway Transportation graduates earn a median of $42,430 four years after completion — roughly 12% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Ground Transportation	49.02
Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation	49.0202
Flagging and Traffic Control	49.0207
Forklift Operation/Operator	49.0209
Ground Transportation, Other	49.0299
Mobil Crane Operator/Operation	49.0206
Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor	49.0205

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.