SOC 53-4031 · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Salary in Houston, TX

The average salary for railroad conductors and yardmasters in Houston, Texas is $47,370 a year ($22.78 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $46,440: half of the 190 people in this job in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 40% less than the U.S. average for this job ($79,100).

$47,370average per year

$22.78 / hourMedian $46,440Take-home ≈ $40,242

  • $44K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $56K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

190people in this job
-40%vs U.S. average
#2 of 2Texas metros
99cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters pay range in Houston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,930 a year or less, while the top 10% make $56,350 or more. The middle half of railroad conductors and yardmasters in Houston earn between $44,320 and $47,740.

  • $44K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $56K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,370$3,948$22.77
Median$46,440$3,870$22.33
Entry level (25th percentile)$44,320$3,693$21.31
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,740$3,978$22.95

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters pay in Houston vs. Texas and the U.S.

Railroad conductors and yardmasters in Houston earn 29% less than the Texas average ($67,100) and 40% less than the U.S. average ($79,100). At the median the gap is -40% against the U.S. median of $78,000.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Houston$47,370$46,440$43,930$56,350190
Texas$67,100$68,980$45,680$79,4004,640
United States$79,100$78,000$58,740$109,77046,440

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salary after taxes in Houston

On the average salary of $47,370, a single filer in Houston takes home about $40,242 a year, or $3,353 a month and $1,548 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Houston a good place for railroad conductors and yardmasters? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $47,370 buys what about $48,028 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 6.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,370 is worth in another city

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salary in other Texas cities

Houston ranks 2nd of 2 Texas metro areas for this job; Dallas pays the most ($47,660).

All Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salaries in Texas

Highest-paying cities for railroad conductors and yardmasters

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($97,280).

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters in Houston, TX.

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters salary in Houston: questions

How much do railroad conductors and yardmasters make an hour in Houston?

$22.78 an hour on average, and $22.33 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level railroad conductors and yardmasters salary in Houston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,930 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,320, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the railroad conductors and yardmasters take-home pay in Houston?

About $40,242 a year ($3,353 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,370. Texas has no state income tax.

Do railroad conductors and yardmasters earn more in Houston than elsewhere?

The average here is 40% less than the U.S. average for this job ($79,100).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-4031; area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.20, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.20).

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