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 28 reviews)); "Good people to work with" ((in 23 reviews)); "Railroad Retirement." ((in 6 reviews)); "They knew that my new position would require me to hire new Team Members, so they allowed me to sit in on some interviews as well as run some interviews with them." ((in 6 reviews)); "When there is no barges then it's laid back in the shade doing nothing easy money and the crew are all good guys that got each other's backs" ((in 6 reviews))

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

"Poor management more concerned about whose butt to kiss then actually managing crews." ((in 27 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 7 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

1.0

Sep 25, 2017

Very poor company

Conductor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Work is steady. Good co-workers. Railroad retirement. 401K is really good. Plenty of overtime. That's really it I'm struggling to find enough for word requirements.

Cons

Single handily the very worst company to work for. They don't value their "team members". The working conditions are so bad it's borderline humorous. The pay is less than mediocre. You can go to any other railroad and almost double your wages, however that won't stop them from bragging about the enormous profit margins every quarter. But instead of reinventing 10% of profits back into the property they will purchase another property so they can run it in the ground. 180% turnaround on employment and no one raises an eyebrow. There is not enough time in the day to explain how horrible this company is.

Watco Companies Response

If you would be willing to discuss, please reach out to me at rpeterson@watcocompanies.com. We work each day to get better, so any further feedback would be appreciated.

3.0

Sep 21, 2017

Stingy

Locomotive engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's a job when you can't find anything else

Cons

Hourly pay sucks unless they let you have overtime

Watco Companies Response

Thank you for the feedback. It's important to us that we get better every day, and one of those areas is our total compensation packages available to our team members.

5.0

Aug 31, 2017

conductor

Railroad conductor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great company to work for

Cons

not too many come that matter

Watco Companies Response

Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback!

Viewing 214 - 216 of 286 Reviews

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Jobs at Watco Companies

Switchman - McIntosh, AL

Deckhand - New Johnsonville, TN

Dispatcher - Wichita, KS

Conductor - Winfield, KS

Forklift Operator - Electric Sit-Down | Day Shift | St. Louis, MO