| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Apply and release hand brakes. |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Drive engines within railroad yards or other establishments to couple, uncouple, or switch railroad cars. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Observe water levels and oil, air, and steam pressure gauges to ensure proper operation of equipment. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Operate track switches, derails, automatic switches, and retarders to change routing of train or cars. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Inspect the condition of stationary trains, rolling stock, and equipment. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Couple and uncouple air hoses and electrical connections between cars. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Pull knuckles to open them for coupling. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Report arrival and departure times, train delays, work order completion, and time on duty. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Inspect track for defects such as broken rails and switch malfunctions. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Spot cars for loading and unloading at customer locations. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Receive, relay, and act upon instructions and inquiries from train operations and customer service center personnel. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Read switching instructions and daily car schedules to determine work to be performed, or receive orders from yard conductors. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Provide assistance in aligning drawbars, using available equipment to lift, pull, or push on the drawbars. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Perform routine repair and maintenance duties. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Drive locomotives to and from various stations in roundhouses to have locomotives cleaned, serviced, repaired, or supplied. |
Educational Paraprofessional Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Educational Paraprofessional Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For people who want classroom experience and a faster path into schools than a full teaching credential. Use the tools below to see which educational paraprofessional roles fit your background and goals.
This role supports classroom teachers directly and typically requires less formal education than a teaching credential, making it a faster entry point into schools. Use the tools below to explore Educational Paraprofessional-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Teacher's Aide, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Lead Paraprofessional or Program Coordinator. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as Paraprofessional Certification (state-specific), that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Educational Paraprofessional careers/jobs, (2) Find Educational Paraprofessional job listings, (3) Prepare for Educational Paraprofessional careers, and (4) Provide Educational Paraprofessional career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Educational Paraprofessional careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Educational Paraprofessional Careers - 2025 to 2035 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Educational Paraprofessional careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Educational Paraprofessional, so relevant Educational Paraprofessional jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Educational Paraprofessional Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Educational Paraprofessional Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Educational Paraprofessional careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 38 Educational Paraprofessional Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
6 Educational Paraprofessional careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2025 to 2035 est.). Educational Paraprofessional-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2025-2035 (% change) | Educational Paraprofessional-Related Jobs |
7 Educational Paraprofessional careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Educational Paraprofessional-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Educational Paraprofessional-Related Jobs |
9 Educational Paraprofessional careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Educational Paraprofessional-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Educational Paraprofessional-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 38 specific Educational Paraprofessional job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Description: Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers":
U.S. Total Employment (2025):
3,500U.S. Total Employment (2035 est.):
3,600
Employment Change (2025-2035 est.):
0 (0.8%) Average Annual Job Openings (2025-2035 est.):
300
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Ride on moving cars by holding onto grab irons and standing on ladder steps. |
| Importance: 41 (%) | Description: Record numbers of cars available, numbers of cars sent to repair stations, and types of service needed. |
| Importance: 33 (%) | Description: Operate flatcars equipped with derricks or railcars to transport personnel or equipment. |
| Importance: 31 (%) | Description: Provide assistance in the installation or repair of rails and ties. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Providing Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Climb ladders or vehicles to perform duties. | |
| Communicate with others to coordinate vehicle movement. | |
| Connect cables or electrical lines. | |
| Connect hoses to equipment or machinery. | |
| Control equipment that regulates vehicle traffic. | |
| Inspect locomotives or other railroad equipment. | |
| Maintain locomotives or other rail equipment in good working condition. | |
| Measure the level or depth of water or other liquids. | |
| Monitor traffic signals. | |
| Monitor vehicle movement or location. | |
| Operate locomotives or other rail vehicles. | |
| Position material handling equipment. | |
| Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments. | |
| Record operational or production data. | |
| Record service or repair activities. | |
| Review work orders or schedules to determine operations or procedures. | |
| Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Description: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Description: Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Climb equipment or structures. |
| Activity: Communicate with others about operational plans or activities. |
| Activity: Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools. |
| Activity: Inspect vehicles. |
| Activity: Maintain operational records. |
| Activity: Maintain vehicles in working condition. |
| Activity: Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment. |
| Activity: Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance. |
| Activity: Monitor traffic conditions. |
| Activity: Operate transportation equipment or vehicles. |
| Activity: Position tools or equipment. |
| Activity: Read documents or materials to inform work processes. |
| Activity: Signal others to coordinate work activities. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| General Software Tools |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| Railyard management software RMS |
| Expert system software: |
| Positive train control PTC systems |
| Facilities management software: |
| Railcar inspection management software |
| Industrial control software: |
| RailComm DocYard Softrail AEI Automatic Yard Tracking System |
| Internet browser software: |
| Web browser software |
| Inventory management software: |
| Railyard inventory software Softrail AEI Rail & Road Manager |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 82.5 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 13.4 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.1 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 75.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 10.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.2 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.2 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.3 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
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