The average salary for a locomotive engineer in Iowa is around $89,970 per year.
Avg Salary
Locomotive engineers earn an average yearly salary of $89,970.
Wages typically start from $74,770 and go up to $95,710.
30% above national average Updated in 2025
Locomotive engineer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$46.02 per hour
$95,710 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$44.31 per hour
$92,170 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$43.25 per hour
$89,970 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$35.99 per hour
$74,850 per year
10th percentile
Starting level locomotive engineer earnings begin at:
$35.95 per hour
$74,770 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 Iowa. On average, they make less than air traffic controllers but more than power engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Air traffic controller salary | $91K |
| Shipmate salary | $98K |
| Ship captain salary | $98K |
| Operations research analyst salary | $81K |
| Customs broker salary | $80K |
| Locomotive engineer salary | $90K |
| Logistician salary | $79K |
| Drafter salary | $64K |
| Industrial engineering technician salary | $64K |
| Power engineer salary | $67K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)




