Does Watco Companies pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Watco Companies employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Watco Companies. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Watco Companies?

66% of Watco Companies employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Watco Companies 3.5 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.5 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Watco Companies?

Railroad Conductor (12) , Conductor (10) , Operator (10) , Manager (9) , Engineer (6) , Switchman (6) , Customer Service Representative (5) , Account Manager (4) , Locomotive Engineer (4) , Locomotive Engineer/Conductor (4) , Safety Manager (3) , Supervisor (3) , Account and Administrative Coordinator (2) , Accountant (2) , Analyst (2)

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

"Good Benefits and vacation package" ((in 25 reviews)); "Good people to work with" ((in 17 reviews)); "They actually care about ALL team members" ((in 8 reviews)); "friendly work environment" ((in 7 reviews)); "Railroad retirement" ((in 7 reviews))

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

"Shift work and bad management" ((in 26 reviews)); "Upper management has lost touch with their sites and only concerned with spending." ((in 11 reviews)); "6 different managers in the last 3 years." ((in 6 reviews)); "Long hours, but it is railroading afterall" ((in 5 reviews)); "And to top it all the pay is terrible and they will not give you a raise unless you are a senior employee." ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about Watco Companies layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Watco Companies locations?

Pittsburg , Houston , Overland Park , Wichita , Kansas City , Birmingham , Madison , Osceola , Springdale , Tioga , Tuscaloosa , Oklahoma City , Toledo , Baton Rouge , Ferndale , Cherryvale , Linden , Wood River , Janesville , Tulsa , Hawesville , Wright , Austin , Freeport , Belle , Whiting , Keenesburg , Minden , Fitzgerald , Newark

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Watco Companies

Watco Companies reviews

3.5

66% would recommend to a friend

(286 total reviews)

Dan Smith

77% approve of CEO

61% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.5

Culture & values

3.5

Work/Life balance

3.5

Career opportunities

3.4

Compensation and benefits

3.3

Diversity & inclusion

3.2

Senior management

Watco Companies has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 286 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Watco Companies 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

286 reviews

2.0

Mar 28, 2019

Never again

Engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Gets you rail road experience.

Cons

Probably the worst "rail road" to work for

Watco Companies Response

If you would be willing to provide any further information on your experience, please contact me at rpeterson@watcocompanies.com. We are always open to ideas for how to further improve. Our goal is to create a great environment for our Team Members and it appears that you may have some thoughts on how to improve the environment at the location which you worked.

3.0

Mar 11, 2019

Freight Conductor with Wisconsin & Southern Railroad

Freight conductor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-Making good money -Cool co-workers to work with

Cons

-No social life -Working all hours of the day/night

Watco Companies Response

Thank you for your feedback on the WSOR. It's great to hear that you had some enjoyable coworkers. It most certainly is hard work with at times a varying schedule, so thank you for your hard work and service to our Customers. Best of luck as you move on to your next career and if you ever have any further recommendations for improvement, feel free to reach out to me at rpeterson@watcocompanies.com.

4.0

Feb 5, 2019

Rigger

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great team work and good safety

Cons

Hard work with the any task giving

Watco Companies Response

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. We agree that the work that you (and all of our great Team Members) do each day is hard, but it's awesome to hear that you are doing it alongside a great team who is safe. Thanks for being a part of the Watco Team.

Viewing 187 - 189 of 286 Reviews

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Jobs at Watco Companies

Front-End Loader Operator - Houston, TX

Entry Level Railcar Repairman - Decatur, IL

Transportation Coordinator - Lowell, AR

Conductor - Davenport, OK

Traffic Coordinator - Houston, Texas