How to become a transit and railroad police
Protect and police railroad and transit property, employees, or passengers.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree..Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
What transit and railroad police do
- 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.
- Direct security activities at derailments, fires, floods, or strikes involving railroad property.
- Patrol railroad yards, cars, stations, or other facilities to protect company property or shipments and to maintain order.
- Enforce traffic laws regarding the transit system and reprimand individuals who violate them.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Learning Strategies
Is transit and railroad police a good career?
On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 77% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- California $109,650
- New Jersey $106,290
- Utah $87,770
- Texas $78,480
- Florida $69,810
Transit and Railroad Police salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.