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?

57% 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 277 reviews)); "The benefits are good and it’s steady" ((in 222 reviews)); "Ok pay good pension and benifits" ((in 80 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 96 reviews)); "Long hours and being on call at all hour can be difficult for most people with families at home." ((in 69 reviews)); "The 2021 round of layoffs" ((in 24 reviews)); "It is normal to have a 10 to 15 hour journey home eating into any time off." ((in 24 reviews)); "the upper management is horrible." ((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

Good pay once you get past long trainee phase - Train Conductor CN Employee Review

2.0

Nov 9, 2021

Train conductor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Eventual good pay. Meet lots of people, some good some bad. Get to work with trains all day. Decent health benefits, dental, etc. Rewarding job if you stay long term.

Cons

Management sucks and will always rush you and give attitude over the radio when you aren’t working fast enough, although they promote working safe. You’re expected to do different jobs with old broken down equipment, pretty much setting you up for failure. The trainee wage for the first 6 or so months of your career is decent but compared to what everyone else at the company is making, it’s next to nothing. You’re working in all kinds of weather 24/7 no matter the conditions outside. Nothing but talk about following safety rules, yet NO ONE follows them. Not a very diverse company and you will feel some discrimination if you are a minority.

CN Response

4y

Thank you for sharing your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great benefits and compensation. With a 24/7/365 operation CN could not function without our dedicated employees. Safety is a core value at CN and we make sure to provide our employees with the necessary tools and training to work safely. We thank you for having helped move our business and the economy forward. We are sorry to hear about your experience with us and we hope that you shared your thoughts with our colleague during your exit interview so we can develop strategies to do better in the future.

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5.0

Apr 2, 2026

Communications technician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Its what you make of it. Good union job with good benefits

Cons

You're always waiting on trains.

CN Response

3mo

Thank you for your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great benefits. We thank you for moving our business and the economy forward. Please share your thoughts with your manager and on your regular Interaction surveys.

4.0

Apr 13, 2026

S&c design engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pays decently well for first job out of college. My manager and team are very reasonable with expectations placed on new hires. Working after office hours (past 4:30pm) is extremely rare and only expected in emergencies.

Cons

Very slow and/or limited job growth potential. Promotions into middle management are almost purely based on reputation with middle managers who are largely people with previous field experience. This is very disadvantageous to direct-from-college hires like myself and even my current manager.

CN Response

3mo

Thank you for your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great pay. With a 24/7/365 operation CN could not function without its dedicated employees. We thank you for moving our business and the economy forward. Remember to leverage your development plan to have career discussions with your leader and please share your thoughts on your regular Interaction surveys.

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Jobs at CN

Rail Track Maintainer

Railway Car Technician (Car Mechanic)

North Fond du Lac, WI

Facilities Maintenance Electrician

CN

Good pay once you get past long trainee phase - Train Conductor CN Employee Review

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