Skilled Trades
Subway and Streetcar Operators
Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. May handle fares.
Median salary
$84,830
Typical range
$52k – $88k
Job outlook
+3% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Subway and Streetcar Operators
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Subway and Streetcar Operators
Entry / Junior
$52,260
~2 yrs to advance
Subway and Streetcar Operators
Established
$84,830
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Subway and Streetcar Operators
Senior
$86,385
Key skills
A typical day
- •Monitor lights indicating obstructions or other trains ahead and watch for car and truck traffic at crossings to stay alert to potential hazards.
- •Operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors.
- •Drive and control rail-guided public transportation, such as subways, elevated trains, and electric-powered streetcars, trams, or trolleys, to transport passengers.
- •Report delays, mechanical problems, and emergencies to supervisors or dispatchers, using radios.
- •Regulate vehicle speed and the time spent at each stop to maintain schedules.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.