Salary range

Train engineers could make as much as $38.14 per hour or $79,340 per year, or as little as $17.18 per hour or $35,730 per year as of May 2011. This is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the position averaged $25.45 per hour or $52,940 per year.Almost 97 percent of all 38,790 locomotive engineers worked for rail transportation companies in 2011. The rest worked in support jobs, inside manufacturing plants or at coal mines.The rail transport engineers also earned the highest salaries with $25.49 per hour or $53,020 per year. To enter a rail company, applicants require a high school diploma or equivalent. They then receive two to three months of training on the job from an experienced engineer.