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 273 reviews)); "The benefits are good and it’s steady" ((in 224 reviews)); "Good salary and IT challenges" ((in 77 reviews)); "pension and benefits are good" ((in 77 reviews)); "Some good people working for the company and trying to make a difference." ((in 64 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)); "Big layoffs." ((in 27 reviews)); "They don't care about you or your family they just want the bottom $. 1 in 4 managers are good." ((in 22 reviews)); "the upper management is horrible." ((in 20 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.

CN reviews

3.3

56% would recommend to a friend

(1,532 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 1,532 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

1.0

Apr 16, 2026

You can't cut your way to profitability

Civil engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Compensation and benefits are reasonable, though nothing special for a company this profitable.

Cons

Tyrannical and incompetent management, promotions and career advancement are political. No work life balance, expect 24/7 on call with no overtime pay, forced return to office. Annual budget cuts and regular rounds of layoffs. Company would rather layoff talent and outsource than invest in and reward loyalty, do not expect stable long term career here.

CN Response

1mo

Thank you for your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great pay and benefits. When we recruit talent to our teams we spend a lot of time going over 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 helping move our business and the economy forward and hope you shared your thoughts during your exit interview.

4.0

Apr 13, 2026

Decent pay and reasonable expectations but slow growth potential and unnecessary return-to-office policies

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

1mo

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.

3.0

Apr 13, 2026

A Good Place to Start

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

An employee here will get a 360 degree view of customs brokerage. What you start, you will usually finish, unless someone is covering for you.

Cons

Currently going through a transition and needing to find its footing. Still not a bad place to go for starting out.

CN Response

1mo

Thank you for your feedback and for your hard work. With a 24/7/365 operation CN could not function without its dedicated employees. We thank you for having helped move our business and the economy forward and hope you shared your thoughts during your exit interview.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 1,532 Reviews

Jobs at CN

Rail Track Maintainer

International Falls, MN

Rail Track Maintainer

Facilities Maintenance Electrician

Railway Car Technician (Car Mechanic)

Senior Engineer, Bridge Testing

CN

CN reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

You can't cut your way to profitability

Decent pay and reasonable expectations but slow growth potential and unnecessary return-to-office policies

A Good Place to Start

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