Trained Train Professional. Salary: $30,000 

You don't get a regular schedule, so your shift starts with a phone call from the crew dispatching office. You pretty much work every day at every hour that the government will legally allow. You're exhausted, but you don't even know it because you're so used to three-hour night sleeps that you think they make you well rested. You're addicted to caffeine now.

Behind Schedule. Salary: $42,000 

You got into this business thinking you'd work a little bit and otherwise the train would mostly rock you into brief, peaceful naps. You were wrong. You're mostly doing freight shifts and only get to be on a passenger train about once a week. You'd complain, but you know the company would just put you on duty in cow-country.

On the Right Track. Salary: $55,000 

You're officially trained by the railroad company that hired you and now they give you really stable work and reasonable shifts. Your time is split pretty evenly between freight train shifts and passenger train shifts. It's nice to be able to work with customers on some days, and nicer that you can get away from them on others.

Commanding Conductor. Salary: $64,000 

The company you work for had you working primarily on-call for freight train shifts, but you paid your dues for so long that now you get to make your own schedule most weeks. You're only spending a day or two away from the house, and now you get to come back before your children forget what you look like.

The Main Train Brain. Salary: $78,000 

As the lead conductor for your company, you get to travel to and from New York City to outlying suburbs and never take a trip longer than three or four hours. This means you're always home for dinner. On top of that, you've got a real nice paycheck coming your way every two weeks. The best part is they want your opinion on the new uniform design. Life's pretty good.