AAR report highlights benefits of freight-rail careers

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) yesterday released the “Rail Jobs Report: The Value and Opportunities in Railroading,” which spotlights railroaders' stories about advancement, family legacy and the career impact of working for the rail industry.

The report features statistics that distinguish freight-rail jobs from those across other industries, highlighting railroading’s strong wages, benefits and hundreds of career paths and advancement opportunities, AAR officials said in a press release.

Among the opportunities cited in the report:

• The median tenure of railroad employees is 13 years, compared to 3.9 years for other private sector workers;

• The average Class I employee’s annual pay and benefit package is valued from $135,000 to almost $190,000;

• Effective Jan. 1, 2025, unionized freight-rail employees’ monthly health-care premiums will decrease by more than 10%, from $309.21 to $277.54, compared to the national average monthly premium of more than $500 for employer-provided family coverage;

• Career railroaders — those 60 and older who have served at least 30 years — receive more than two times as much retirement income as the average Social Security recipient; and

• Veterans account for about one in six rail employees.

With data and employee testimonials, the report demonstrates the value of a railroading job, said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies.

"Railroaders are the lifeblood that powers our industry and supports every facet of the economy,” Jefferies said. “Rail work is not only a source of pride; it is a pathway to stability, growth and opportunity that often spans generations."

Click here to download the report.