Subway and Streetcar Operators
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-4041
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 53-4041 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 54/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $86,380
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 1,000
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 1,203 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~40.9% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. May handle fares.
Common titles: Combined Rail Operator, Light Rail Operator, Light Rail Train Operator, Light Rail Vehicle Operator (LRV Operator), Rail Operator, Rapid Transit Operator (RTO)
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Monitor surroundings to detect potential hazards.
- •Monitor traffic signals.
- •Monitor vehicle movement or location.
- •Drive passenger vehicles.
- •Notify others of emergencies, problems, or hazards.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Outlook | Average | 20% Bright |
| Median Salary | $86,380 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |