NOC 73310: Railway and yard locomotive engineers
What railway and yard locomotive engineers do
Railway locomotive engineers operate railway locomotives to transport passengers and freight. They are employed by railway transport companies. Yard locomotive engineers operate locomotives within yards of railway, industrial or other establishments. They are employed by railway transport companies and industrial or commercial users of rail transport.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Railway locomotive engineers
- Operate locomotives to transport passengers and freight on railways
- Operate communication systems to communicate with train crews and traffic controllers to ensure safe operation and scheduling of trains
- Inspect assigned locomotives and test operating controls and equipment.
- Yard locomotive engineers
- Operate locomotives to switch, couple and uncouple cars for loading and unloading
- Perform switching operations according to written switching orders or dispatched instructions
- Inspect locomotives, replenish fuel or perform routine maintenance on locomotives.
Job titles under NOC 73310
16 job titles are classified here, including locomotive engineer - railway, railway engineer, switch engineer - railway.
- diesel locomotive engineer - railway
- freight train engineer
- industrial locomotive engineer
- locomotive engineer - railway
- locomotive hostler
- passenger train engineer
- passenger train locomotive engineer
- railway engineer
- railway engineer trainee
- railway hostler
- railway locomotive engineer
- switch engineer - railway
- train engineer
- transfer hostler - railway
- yard engineer - railway
- yard locomotive engineer - railway
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Experience as a conductor is required for railway locomotive engineers and may be required for yard locomotive engineers.
- Experience as a railway yard worker may be required for yard locomotive engineers.
- Railway locomotive engineers require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate.
Railway and yard locomotive engineers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $33.00/hr | $50.00/hr | $68.85/hr |
Toronto ON | $38.43/hr | $53.41/hr | $65.45/hr |
Montréal QC | $34.39/hr | $50.11/hr | $63.32/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $36.55/hr | $54.00/hr | $69.71/hr |
Calgary AB | $34.47/hr | $49.05/hr | $60.61/hr |
Edmonton AB | $37.60/hr | $50.83/hr | $63.25/hr |
Ottawa ON | $36.73/hr | $50.06/hr | $63.10/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $23.00/hr | $46.15/hr | $69.77/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $31.97/hr | $43.00/hr | $64.90/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $37.03/hr | $51.98/hr | $62.98/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $37.89/hr | $53.94/hr | $65.95/hr |
London ON | $38.26/hr | $49.97/hr | $62.84/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $34.44/hr | $50.77/hr | $63.51/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $31.32/hr | $47.16/hr | $58.58/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | $28.04/hr | $45.85/hr | $56.34/hr |
New Brunswick | $37.82/hr | $50.52/hr | $60.68/hr |
Quebec | $31.97/hr | $43.00/hr | $64.90/hr |
Ontario | $32.05/hr | $56.09/hr | $72.12/hr |
Manitoba | $32.88/hr | $43.96/hr | $72.53/hr |
Saskatchewan | $32.05/hr | $44.87/hr | $67.31/hr |
Alberta | $35.34/hr | $48.63/hr | $62.16/hr |
British Columbia | $36.55/hr | $54.00/hr | $69.71/hr |
Using NOC 73310 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 16 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Light rail transit operator (NOC 73301)
- Subway train operator (NOC 73301)
- Supervisors, railway transport operations (NOC 72023)
- Train dispatcher (NOC 72604)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for railway and yard locomotive engineers?
Railway and yard locomotive engineers are NOC 2021 unit group 73310. Example job titles in this group include locomotive engineer - railway, railway engineer, switch engineer - railway, transfer hostler - railway.
What TEER is NOC 73310?
NOC 73310 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do railway and yard locomotive engineers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $50.00/hr, about $98,000 a year full-time, with a range of $33.00/hr to $68.85/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.