Subway and Streetcar Operators
Also called: Light Rail Operator, Rail Operator, Rapid Transit Operator (RTO), Train OperatorOperate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. May handle fares.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 10 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other rail transportation workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 92% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $78,680 | $66,820 to $78,680 | 900 |
| Florida | $72,860 | $59,420 to $72,860 | 130 |
| Georgia | $59,570 | $53,990 to $59,570 | 300 |
| Maryland | $92,420 | $84,350 to $92,420 | 480 |
| Michigan | $41,710 | $34,580 to $45,550 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $65,410 | $65,410 to $69,680 | 140 |
| Missouri | $53,030 | $41,750 to $63,030 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $68,970 | $65,630 to $73,550 | 140 |
| North Carolina | $62,590 | $46,680 to $73,710 | 110 |
| Texas | $58,780 | $50,710 to $58,780 | 240 |
| Utah | $58,620 | $58,620 to $60,080 | 970 |
| Virginia | $61,970 | $47,510 to $61,990 | not published |
| Washington | $77,020 | $65,290 to $93,010 | 320 |
Nationally: $86,380. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 4 of its 10 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors. | Not published |
| Not much | Drive and control rail-guided public transportation, such as subways, elevated trains, and electric-powered streetcars, trams, or trolleys, to transport passengers. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor lights indicating obstructions or other trains ahead and watch for car and truck traffic at crossings to stay alert to potential hazards. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report delays, mechanical problems, and emergencies to supervisors or dispatchers, using radios. | Not published |
| Not much | Regulate vehicle speed and the time spent at each stop to maintain schedules. | Not published |
| AI + software | Make announcements to passengers, such as notifications of upcoming stops or schedule delays. | Not published |
See all 10 tasks
| AI + software | Greet passengers, provide information, and answer questions concerning fares, schedules, transfers, and routings. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Complete reports, including shift summaries and incident or accident reports. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend meetings on driver and passenger safety to learn ways in which job performance might be affected. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct emergency evacuation procedures. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 10 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 10 tasks fall under 10 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Monitor safety or security of work areas, facilities, or properties |
Show all 10 activities
| Monitor traffic conditions | |||
| Direct security or safety activities or operations |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer36%
- Advice or a recommendation23%
- A document or report22%
- A plan or strategy6%
- An email or message3%
How they worked with Claude
26% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for subway and streetcar operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,799 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Moderate +4.1% 4%
- 5 Travel Guides 4%
Where people moved in from
of 1,949 moves in
- 1 Fast Food and Counter Workers Moderate +5.8% 6%
- 2 Travel Guides 5%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 4 Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Moderate +4.1% 4%
- 5 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 87% high school
- 9% postsecondary certificate
- 5% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 34 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 5% less than high school
- 41% high school
- 28% some college
- 15% associate's
- 11% bachelor's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other rail transportation workers” · 179 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other rail transportation workers”
1 program: Railroad and Railway Transportation.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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