Occupation Profile

Industries Employing

Rail Yard Engineers

(SOC Code : 53-4013)

in San Diego County

Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with Work experience in a related occupation .

San Diego County is the same as San Diego-Carlsbad MSA.

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2023	1st Qtr	$28.67	$23.05	$33.24	$33.34

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Projections for this occupation in San Diego County are not available.

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in San Diego County

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Employment for Occupation in State of California

About Staffing Patterns

Data for Training Programs not available.

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information.

Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.

Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.

Drive engines within railroad yards or other establishments to couple, uncouple, or switch railroad cars.

Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation.

Apply and release hand brakes.

Read switching instructions and daily car schedules to determine work to be performed, or receive orders from yard conductors.

Inspect the condition of stationary trains, rolling stock, and equipment.

Spot cars for loading and unloading at customer locations.

Observe water levels and oil, air, and steam pressure gauges to ensure proper operation of equipment.

More Tasks for Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers

Top Skills used in this Job

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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