Transit and Railroad Police

Law, Public Safety, Corrections and SecurityO*NET 33-3052.00United States

Protect and police railroad and transit property, employees, or passengers.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $90,112
Projected change: +5.2%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 6.28K jobs

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

State

County

Loading available locations…

Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What transit and railroad police do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Prepare reports documenting investigation activities and results.
Monitor transit areas and conduct security checks to protect railroad properties, patrons, and employees.
Apprehend or remove trespassers or thieves from railroad property or coordinate with law enforcement agencies in apprehensions and removals.
Patrol railroad yards, cars, stations, or other facilities to protect company property or shipments and to maintain order.
Investigate or direct investigations of freight theft, suspicious damage or loss of passengers' valuables, or other crimes on railroad property.
Direct security activities at derailments, fires, floods, or strikes involving railroad property.
Examine credentials of unauthorized persons attempting to enter secured areas.
Enforce traffic laws regarding the transit system and reprimand individuals who violate them.
Provide training to the public or law enforcement personnel in railroad safety or security.
Plan or implement special safety or preventive programs, such as fire or accident prevention.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $57,438
25th percentile: $68,795
50th percentile: $90,112
75th percentile: $119,572
90th percentile: $126,927

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $90,112 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+5.2%average or slower

20256,282 jobs

2035 projected6,607 jobs

325 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 28.4%
Some college: 25.9%
High school diploma or less: 20.6%
Certificate: 13.8%
Master's or Professional degree: 5.9%
Associate degree: 5.4%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Law Enforcement
Evidence Collection
Patrolling
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Contraband Detection And Control
Crime Prevention
Crime Scene Investigation
Crisis Management
Crisis Prevention
Emergency First Aid
Evidence Preservation
Incident Command Systems
Legal Writs
Packaging And Labeling
Probable Cause
Public Administration
Self Defense
Suicide Intervention
Counter-Terrorism
Crime Scene Processing

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Police Officers18 postings
02Lead Police Officers5 postings
03Police Recruits3 postings
04Lateral Police Officers2 postings
05Information Officers1 postings
06Internship Program Managers1 postings
07Metro Managers1 postings
08Security Patrol Officers1 postings

Top employers

01Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority7 postings
02Rtd4 postings
03Septa4 postings
04R.J Corman Railroad Company2 postings
05GardaWorld1 postings
06Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority1 postings
07La Métro (Grenoble Alpes Métropole)1 postings
08Metro Regional Transit Authority1 postings
09Metropolitan Council1 postings
10Metropolitan Transportation Authority1 postings
11Regional Transportation District1 postings
12Terminal Railroad Association Of St Louis1 postings
13Utah Transit Authority1 postings
14Via Metropolitan Transit1 postings

Keep looking

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers

Median pay: $117,853
Employment outlook: +2.5%

Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians

Median pay: $35,443
Employment outlook: +2.2%

Animal Control Workers

Median pay: $45,656
Employment outlook: +7.3%

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

Median pay: $74,243
Employment outlook: +6.1%