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 268 reviews)); "The benefits are good and it’s steady" ((in 223 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 67 reviews)); "Great team to work with." ((in 23 reviews))

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

"no work life balance and 24/7 scheduling" ((in 93 reviews)); "Long hours and being on call at all hour can be difficult for most people with families at home." ((in 67 reviews)); "Big layoffs." ((in 28 reviews)); "They don't care about you or your family they just want the bottom $. 1 in 4 managers are good." ((in 23 reviews)); "It is normal to have a 10 to 15 hour journey home eating into any time off." ((in 22 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

3.4

57% would recommend to a friend

(1,534 total reviews)

Tracy Robinson

49% approve of CEO

47% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Compensation and benefits

3.6

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 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 1,534 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

3.0

Jul 7, 2021

CN is not a bad place to work, most of the time

Locomotive engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Salary, availability of work, quality of most equipment.

Cons

Harsh discipline policy, harsh attendance policy, ridiculous rules in regards to cell phone use, very few jobs with weekend off days, system seniority can be an asset, but it's usually a liability. Favoritism shown toward certain terminals and their crews, pay goes according to which former railroad you work for that they own.

CN Response

5y

Thank you for sharing your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great compensation. With a 24/7/365 operation CN could not function without our dedicated employees. We thank you for helping move our business and the economy forward. We hope you share your feedback during our regular Pulse surveys and with your manager and/or Human Resources Business Partner.

4.0

Jul 6, 2021

Great Company, Demanding hours

Trainmaster

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

excellent room for advancement opportunities

Cons

demanding hours away from home

CN Response

5y

Thank you for sharing your feedback and for your hard work. We strive hard to create a work environment where all employees have an opportunity to develop and grow their career. When we recruit talent to our 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. With this 24/7/365 operation CN could not function without our dedicated employees. We thank you for having helped move our business and the economy forward.

3.0

Jul 5, 2021

track foreman with 10yrs experience

Section foreman

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The company is really committed to safety and its training programs. Okay benefits with Roth 401k. Health savings plan and employee share investment program.

Cons

Lower end of the pay spectrum for unionized employees, and really low for its management employees. Putting employees against one another. They ask a lot of your time. wanting you to work nights, weekends and holidays. Its union so you get a lot of employees working the system.

CN Response

5y

Thank you for sharing your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great compensation and benefits. 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 helping move our business and the economy forward. We hope you share your experience during our regular Pulse surveys so we can develop strategies to do better.

Viewing 832 - 834 of 1,534 Reviews

Jobs at CN

Transportation Supervisor

Engineer Bridge Design

Engineer or Senior Officer, Signals and Communication Design

Locomotive Electrician

Railway Car Technician (Car Mechanic)

CN

CN reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

CN is not a bad place to work, most of the time

Great Company, Demanding hours

track foreman with 10yrs experience

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