My friend drives a train or conducts a train how much does he make?

Question

My friend drives a train or conducts a train how much does he make?

Answer 1

Most all the answers are quite accurate. She is asking us, because she is prolly being considerate of her friend. Asking of one's income is not "kosher" and technically a matter of privacy. It is simply not polite to pry. By asking here, at least she gets the general idea without being rude, inconsiderate or seeming nosy.

Answer 2

If he works in the UK, possibly about £30k pa.

Answer 3

He should be making around $60K with a great retirement plan and awesome benefits.  They work rather goofy hours at times but are really great men.  If you are looking for a long term relationship that is.  I have been happy with my conductor for 15 years!

Answer 4

Best way to find out is to ask.  It really depends on who he works for, how long he's worked there, and what job he's working.  Railroaders aren't "stuck" to one job.  We can bid and bump from the yard to the road and the pay is quite different.  Even different jobs in the yard as in helper, foreman, utility...etc.  So there is really no telling.  I can make $1800 every 2 weeks up to $6000 every 2 weeks.  Just depends on what I can "hold" with my seniority, where I'm working at, and how often I'm working.  $45k is pretty much the basic on the BNSF railroad working the lowest paying job.

Unfortunately we don't have a "salary" to say exactly what we are making.......it's just paycheck to paycheck.  Engineers on a whole do make more than conductors.  By the way, engineers "drive" the train......and the conductor...well...i'm not sure what conductors do.....oh yeah....talk on the radio and sleep.  No...the conductor does the actual work on the train..ie..pick up cars, set cars out..etcl.  Hard to believe we make more than them when we just sit on our butt.

Answer 5

Around here, conductors start out at 75% of the pay rate, getting an extra 5% raise every year, so after 5 years they make 100% of the union-negotiated wage.  That means around $30K to start with, at a minimum, more if he works overtime.  If he gets promoted to engineer, his pay goes up from that - if the guy works a lot of hours, the sky's the limit.

The railroad makes pretty good money, and the benefits are great, but the hours are terrible.  I pity your friend (heh heh).

Answer 6

ask him not us

why would we know better than him?

Answer 7

if he works full time the above answers are close, if you ask a conductor they will tell  you not nearly enough

Answer 8

I would say between $40,000-$60,000.

UPDATE:

I know someone who just runs the switchs and he makes $42,000 a year and is not even a conductor

Answer 9

As a train driver here in Australia, i can tell you my earnings for last year were slightly over $65 000. And yes the hours are goofy (the 'proper' term is irregular shiftwork). The best job i've ever had.