Occupation Profile

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators

(SOC Code : 53-4021)

in California

Operate railroad track switches. Couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Signal engineers by hand or flagging. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes.

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

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$28.89	$23.94	$26.33	$28.72

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

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	1,600	1,300	-300	-18.8	50

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

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

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Rail Transportation

102

94.3%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Railroad and Railway Transportation

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.)

Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.

Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.

Observe signals from other crewmembers so that work activities can be coordinated.

Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.

Raise levers to couple and uncouple cars for makeup and breakup of trains.

Climb ladders to tops of cars to set brakes.

Receive oral or written instructions from yardmasters or yard conductors indicating track assignments and cars to be switched.

Set flares, flags, lanterns, or torpedoes in front and at rear of trains during emergency stops in order to warn oncoming trains.

Inspect tracks, cars, and engines for defects and to determine service needs, sending engines and cars for repairs as necessary.

Make minor repairs to couplings, air hoses, and journal boxes, using hand tools.

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Top Skills used in this Job

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.

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

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

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

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

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

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

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

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Data for Tasks not available.

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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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