Does CN pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, CN employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at CN. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at CN?

56% of CN employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated CN 2.6 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.8 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at CN?

Railroad Conductor (126) , Locomotive Engineer (75) , Train Conductor (55) , Conductor (49) , Freight Conductor (49) , Intern (23) , Manager (21) , Project Manager (21) , Trainmaster (19) , Analyst (15) , Supervisor (15) , Carman (14) , Heavy Equipment Operator (14) , Engineer (13) , Freight Train Conductor (13)

What are the pros of working at CN according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is good and stock plan is nice.." ((in 269 reviews)); "The benefits are good and it’s steady" ((in 234 reviews)); "pension and benefits are good" ((in 74 reviews)); "And good money if you are in the right place for doing very little work." ((in 65 reviews)); "Great team to work with." ((in 24 reviews))

What are the cons of working at CN according to real employee reviews?

"no work life balance and 24/7 scheduling" ((in 94 reviews)); "Long hours and being on call at all hour can be difficult for most people with families at home." ((in 69 reviews)); "Layoffs and Furloughs are common." ((in 26 reviews)); "They don't care about you or your family they just want the bottom $. 1 in 4 managers are good." ((in 22 reviews)); "Terrible leadership who have made mistakes after mistakes but are not held accountable." ((in 21 reviews))

What are employees saying about CN layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about CN layoffs and their outlook for job security at CN in 2026.

What are the top reviewed CN locations?

Homewood , Chicago , Memphis , Stevens Point , Fond du Lac , Gary , Jackson , Baton Rouge , Champaign , Duluth , Battle Creek , Detroit , Waterloo , Proctor , Superior , Milwaukee , Flat Rock , Port Huron , New Orleans , Joliet , Markham , Decatur , Wisconsin Rapids , Burlington , Minneapolis , Mattoon , Libertyville , Naperville , Willow Springs , Effingham

CN reviews

3.3

56% would recommend to a friend

(1,533 total reviews)

Tracy Robinson

46% approve of CEO

46% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.1

Career opportunities

2.8

Culture & values

2.6

Work/Life balance

2.6

Senior management

CN has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 1,533 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The CN employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Transportation & Logistics industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Aug 3, 2020

Good pay, bad hours, bad management

Railroad conductor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pays well Has half decent benefits package

Cons

work/life balance is non-existent. Management always thinks they know best, despite never working the actual job and only having experience managing teenagers at a McDonald's.

CN Response

5y

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We pride ourselves on providing our team with great compensation and benefits including the ability to learn and develop themselves. When we recruit talent to our operations teams, we spend a lot of time going over the working conditions and the realities associated with the railroad operating 24/7/365 days a year, including how being on call can disrupt your family life and important events. We thank you for your years of hard work and having helped move our business and the economy forward.

2.0

Jul 30, 2020

Management is always out to get you

Transportation

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Salary Co workers Work outside Good benefits Job itself is very enjoyable when management isn't breathing down your neck

Cons

They hire you then find reasons to try and fire you No work life balance If you take your time and follow rules you'll get crap for not doing enough work, if you cut corners you'll get demerit points.

CN Response

5y

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. When we recruit talent to our operations teams, we spend a lot of time going over the working conditions and the realities associated with the railroad operating 24/7/365 days a year, including how being on call can disrupt your family life and important events. Thank you for continuing to be a safety leader. If you have concerns about safety, please share them with a member of your management team or your HR business partner. We thank you for your hard work and helping move our business and the economy forward.

4.0

Jul 27, 2020

Great place for a co-op student

Design and construction engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great pay as a co-op student. Good variety of tasks for work experience. Good people to work with.

Cons

Much different as a full time new grad hire. They'll work you as hard as they want, and send you all over the province/country with limited notice. Pay starts well but doesn't scale with new responsibilities and increasing workloads.

CN Response

5y

Thank you for sharing your positive feedback and for your hard work while at CN. With a 24/7/365 operation CN could not function without our dedicated employees. We pride ourselves on providing our team with great benefits and strive hard to create a work environment where everyone feels good to work in, and where all employees have an opportunity to develop and grow their career. We thank you for your hard work and having helped move our business and the economy forward. We hope that you have found a position that is more in line with your life expectations.

Viewing 1324 - 1326 of 1,533 Reviews

Jobs at CN

Rail Track Maintainer

Manager Safety & Compliance

Engineer Bridge Design

CN

CN reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Good pay, bad hours, bad management

Management is always out to get you

Great place for a co-op student

Jobs at CN

CN reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

CN reviews FAQs

Jobs at CN