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 279 reviews)); "The benefits are good and it’s steady" ((in 231 reviews)); "pension and benefits are good" ((in 80 reviews)); "Good salary and IT challenges" ((in 72 reviews)); "And good money if you are in the right place for doing very little work." ((in 66 reviews))

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

"no work life balance and 24/7 scheduling" ((in 90 reviews)); "Long hours and being on call at all hour can be difficult for most people with families at home." ((in 67 reviews)); "Layoffs and Furloughs are common." ((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)); "Terrible leadership who have made mistakes after mistakes but are not held accountable." ((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

3.3

56% would recommend to a friend

(1,533 total reviews)

Tracy Robinson

46% approve of CEO

46% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

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CN has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 1,533 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).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Oct 12, 2017

Comme ci comme ca!

Rail traffic controller

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great salary and generous benefits for employee and his/her family (transportation department)

Cons

Old mentality of discipline and 24h/7 operations which means bad schedule for operation/transportation

5.0

Oct 12, 2017

Mechanic

Automotive technician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are many great opportunities working with cn railroad. The pay is good as well as holding a union job. The benifets are good as well as the people who operate and work there.

Cons

Hard work but I like it that way..i like to keep busy and make money doing it

2.0

Oct 11, 2017

The real truth about CN rail

Freight conductor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pay if you have seniority Good co workers Great pension and benefits Only 8 hour shifts in the yard which is nice if your use to working oilfield.

Cons

Weird hours No way to plan anything out So when you go through training they send you to Winnipeg for 7 weeks. It's not to bad, decent hotel and they give you 3 meals a day which aren't the best but do the trick. You get paid horribly for 6 months ( the recruiter will tell you it's only while your in school but it's actually 5-6 months till you qualify) it's 900$ a weeks. Just be prepared for the horrible shifts/ hours you'll work if your in a big terminal like Edmonton of Winnipeg. If you hire onto places like jasper or Roma junction you'll have lots of road trips instead of yard. They day rate once you qualify is 310$ a day. CN matches your pension up to 6% of your pay. And if you put in 35 years they give you about 65,000$ a year for pension.

Viewing 1255 - 1257 of 1,533 Reviews

Jobs at CN

Engineer or Senior Officer, Signals and Communication Design

Railway Car Technician (Car Mechanic)

North Fond du Lac, WI

CN

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Comme ci comme ca!

Mechanic

The real truth about CN rail

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