The average salary for a locomotive engineer in the United States is around $81,410 per year.
Avg Salary
Locomotive engineers earn an average yearly salary of $81,410.
Wages typically start from $60,680 and go up to $109,220.
25% above national average Updated in 2025
Locomotive engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$52.51 per hour
$109,220 per year
Senior-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$44.84 per hour
$93,260 per year
Mid-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$39.14 per hour
$81,410 per year
Junior-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$36.15 per hour
$75,190 per year
Starting level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$29.17 per hour
$60,680 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Locomotive engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | $96,710 |
| Minnesota | $93,700 |
| Illinois | $93,320 |
| Indiana | $92,790 |
| Florida | $92,310 |
| Oklahoma | $91,970 |
| Virginia | $90,780 |
| Montana | $90,220 |
| Iowa | $89,970 |
| Arizona | $89,840 |
| Colorado | $89,360 |
| South Carolina | $89,290 |
| New Mexico | $88,330 |
| New Jersey | $86,550 |
| Delaware | $84,870 |
| Wisconsin | $84,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,460 |
| Nebraska | $81,860 |
| Tennessee | $81,410 |
| Idaho | $79,600 |
| Oregon | $79,130 |
| Georgia | $79,070 |
| Texas | $79,000 |
| Arkansas | $78,930 |
| Wyoming | $78,910 |
| Missouri | $78,820 |
| North Dakota | $78,670 |
| Kentucky | $77,620 |
| Alabama | $77,600 |
| California | $77,070 |
| Kansas | $75,190 |
| Washington | $73,750 |
| New Hampshire | $70,670 |
| South Dakota | $69,180 |
| West Virginia | $64,400 |
| Louisiana | $64,200 |
| Maryland | $63,960 |
| Ohio | $63,280 |
| Maine | $63,100 |
| North Carolina | $61,190 |
| Nevada | $58,250 |
| Utah | $55,960 |
| Michigan | $48,760 |
| New York | $109,220 |
| Massachusetts | $108,790 |
How do locomotive engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Locomotive engineers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than operations research analysts but more than audio engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Operations research analyst salary | $89K |
| Customs broker salary | $83K |
| Transit police officer salary | $90K |
| Logistician salary | $82K |
| Freight and cargo inspector salary | $92K |
| Locomotive engineer salary | $81K |
| Aircraft mechanic salary | $80K |
| Power engineer salary | $79K |
| Avionics technician salary | $82K |
| Audio engineer salary | $73K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)